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How do you distill the spirit of Liverpool in springtime into a single magazine? The simple answer is, you can’t. Instead, we’ve hand picked just 337 amazing things you can experience right here, right about now. Enjoy.
Citation preview
EAT / DRINK / SEE / SHOP / SPRING IN LIVERPOOL: SORTED
it’s liverpool
CRAFT BEER, CREAM CAKES AND CUNARD QUEENS.
DO YOU NEED ANY MORE REASONS TO BE IN LIVERPOOL THIS SPRING?
HOPE STREET HOTEL ! MADE IN LIVERPOOL ! JACKSON POLLOCK AT TATE
SHOPPING
& DINING
REWARDS
JUST FOR YOU.
Try our FREE App
Join MyONE via the
FREE Liverpool ONE
App or sign-up online.
Contents
In association with: Marketing Liverpool, Liverpool ONE, City Central BID, ACC Liverpool
Editor: David Lloyd Art Director: Matthew Barnes
Writers: David Lloyd, Joe Shooman, John Meadowcroft Front Cover: Pete Carr
Photography: Pete Carr, Jane MacNeil, Mark McNulty, James Morgan
Jackson Pollock ‘Summertime’: © The Pollock-Krasner Foundation ARS, NY and DACS, London 2015.
Queen of Uxmal sculpture: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes - Instituto Nacional de
Antropología e Historia - Fotógrafo Ignacio Guevara. With thanks to: Peter Smith, Ian Slater, Chris Brown
www.itsliverpool.com
For travel advice, accommodation and what’s on, visit: www.visitliverpool.com
4 Happenings 10 Table Talk
14 sHips 19 my liverpool
23 crafT beer 26 THe manifesTo
28 Tours 30 fasHion 34 HisTory
36 sHoWTime 40 kids
42 galleries 44 made rigHT Here
46 my sTory 48 inTeriors
50 final frame
How do you distill the spirit of Liverpool in springtime into a single magazine? The simple answer is, you can’t. Instead, we’ve hand picked just 337 amazing things you
can experience right here, right about now. Let’s say you spent just an hour at
each (which, frankly, is going some at most of these places - never mind the Pollocks), that’ll keep you busy until summer. Some
say our big cities are all starting to look the same. Liverpool begs to di!er. We’re
a city that turns a trip to the shops into a voyage across time and seas, that - not content with the Giants - choreographs
the manoeuvres of three super-sized Queens, and that hosts the biggest free
music festivals in the UK. No, we’re not like other cities. Sometimes, of course, it’s the small stu! that lingers in the memory
the longest: and we hope this magazine will chart a course to your new favourite
spot in the city. And that it’s not long until you’re planning a return journey. Enjoy.
David Lloyd, Editor
it’s liverpool
This summer, Liverpool and Cunard celebrate the 175th anniversary of the world’s "rst transatlantic passenger crossing. And one million people are predicted to join the party.
Summer will see our city host a seven week shindig we’re modestly calling ‘One Magni"cent City’. And why wouldn’t we?
May will see the Mersey welcome Cunard’s three Queens; Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria - together for the "rst time in a spectacular event that promises to rewrite maritime history.
There’s the International Mersey River Festival and On the Waterfront, featuring free (we like that word, free, around these
parts) concerts that will take place on the Pier Head and Albert Dock in June.
July sees Cunard’s #agship Queen Mary 2 sail from Liverpool, recreating the original voyage of Britannia from Liverpool to Halifax and Boston which "rst set out in July 1840.
“After many years of planning, Liverpool will host a spectacle that will live long in the memories of those who attend,” beams Cunard Marketing Director, Angus Struthers.
“If the excitement and buzz that there is currently around the city is an indication of the reception the #eet is going to receive over the three-day period then it is di$cult to imagine the excitement, emotion and passion
there will be at the time.”The fun begins Friday 15
May - when the city basks in the cultural celebration that is Light Night and runs until the weekend of the 4th July when Liverpool will host Transatlantic 175, the UK’s biggest Independence Day celebrations. Which, of course, translates as ‘the UK’s biggest party’. Oh, and don’t miss The Crossing (see over) - a unique audio-visual exploration of Liverpool and Cunard’s shared history, opening in Liverpool ONE on May 15.
Keep up to date with it all: visitonemagnificentcity.co.uk or follow @OMCLpool on Twitter
HOMEWARD BOUND:cunard and liverpool’s daTe WiTH desTiny
QUEENS TOP TRUMPS
Queen Mary 2Passengers: 2,620
Power: 157,000 horsepowerLength: 45 metres longer than
the Ei!el Tower (345 m)
Queen ElizabethPassengers: 2,090Tonnage: 90,000
Length: Twice that of the London Eye (314 m)
Queen Victoria Passengers: 2,014
Open deck space: 10,000 ft2Restaurant seats: 1,400
Saturday 23 May
10pm Amazing Graces projections on
the Three Graces, Liverpool Pier Head
Sunday 24 May
9am Queen Mary 2
arrives
10pm Amazing Graces
projections
10.30pm Firework display
Monday 25 May
10.45am Queen Mary 2 leaves
to greet her two sisters at the river
mouth.
12pm to 2pm Three Queens meet and sail in formation
towards the city
10pmAmazing Graces
projections
10.30pmFirework display,
after which Queen Elizabeth leaves
the city and Queen Victoria berths at the Cruise Liner
Terminal
Tuesday 26 May4.30pm
A musical sail-away performance to say goodbye to Queen
Victoria
04
THE TIMES
HappeningsLIVERPOOL NOW
Collaborations don’t come much better than this. Liverpool’s music mag Bido Lito! has teamed
with property guardians Ad Hoc (who allow artists to live in disused locations such as schools and churches)– they’ve commissioned ex Coral composer Bill Ryder-Jones and visual artist (and
Ad Hoc tenant) Marco Lawrence to present a one-night-only installation at the Reader Organisation’s
Calderstones Mansion HQ, using the poem ‘No Worst, There Is None’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins
as a catalyst.“I love my job,” says Ryder-Jones, “but it can get
stale if you don’t change things up every now and then. So I’ve been hoping something like this would
turn up. The chance to revisit a di!erent way of writing was too good to pass up.”
The Reader Org, Calderstones Mansion,28th May. Free, but registration in advance is
essential, at adhoccreative.co.uk
WAKE UPThree’s Company
SPLASH ABOUT
GRAB SOME AIR
DRIVE OFF
RACE AHEAD
12345
Read All About It
Get Out There! 5 Ways to Keep
Active This Summer
We’re smitten with the new album by Liverpool’s e!ervescent trio, Stealing Sheep. We’re not the only ones. ‘Not Real’ has seen reviews that are anything but woolly: The Guardian says the collection is full of ‘fabricated, fantastical and wildly colourful imaginings about the universe’, and we don’t disagree.
Try whizzing through the docks at Liverpool’s excellent Wakeboard Parkliverpoolwakepark.co.uk
&URVE\pV�/DNHVLGH�$GYHQWXUHV�RƪHU�WDVWHUV�LQ�ZLQGVXUƬQJ��SDGGOLQJ�DQG�VDLOLQJ�IRU�DOO�DELOLWLHVcrosbylakeside.co.uk
Show your tricks at the Baltic Skatepark or the Rampworks BMX rampsrampworx.com
7U\�D�URXQG�RQ�RQH�RI�RXU�&KDPSLRQVKLS�JROI�FRXUVHVenglandsgolfcoast.com
7DFNOH�WKH�5RFNpQp5ROO�UDFH�WKURXJKRXW�WKH�FLW\��IURP���PLOH�WR�D�PDUDWKRQ��-XQH������runrocknroll.com/liverpool
THE TIMES
How Do We Look?
Photographer Patricia Porter is returning to
/LYHUSRRO����\HDUV�DIWHU�she photographed the city. 7DNHQ�D�GHFDGH�EHIRUH�
the area was in the media VSRWOLJKW�IROORZLQJ�ZKDW�was dubbed the Toxteth 5LRWV�LQ�������7ULFLDpV�evocative black and
white images paint a vivid SLFWXUH�RI�HYHU\GD\�OLIH�LQ�/LYHUSRRO���DW�D�WLPH�ZKHQ�its tight knit communities ZHUH�EHLQJ�IUDJPHQWHG��2Q�7KXUVGD\����-XQH��Porter will talk about KHU�ZRUN��WR�FRLQFLGH�
with the gallery’s recent UHWURVSHFWLYH��,WpV�D�IUHH�DQG��QR�GRXEW��XWWHUO\�IDVFLQDWLQJ�SHHN�LQWR�D�
singular time in our city’s history.
thebluecoat.org.uk
05
A SENSE OF LIVERPOOL
Bridging time and space on a shopping trip? It’s all in a day’s exploration at Liverpool ONE this summer. The Crossing sees internationally renowned soundscape artist Martyn Ware create an immersive installation that promises to transport visitors from here to New York - traversing 175 years of maritime lore. And, hopefully, back in time for lunch.
“This will be a world-"rst 3D adventure,” Ware says, of the piece - timed to coincide with the One Magni"cent City event, marking the 175th anniversary of the world’s "rst transatlantic passenger crossing.
The historic ties between Liverpool and the US are long and deep - and, with this intriguing piece of immersive audio theatre Ware hopes to tug, subtly, at the city’s subconscious. To take us all back to a time when the great liners plied their way between these mighty edge-of-Atlantic cities.
“At the heart of the piece is a really authentic recreation of the experience of being on one of these great ships,” Ware explains of the installation, which spans the entire length of South John Street. “It stretches for 250 metres, over three #oors. It’s actually about the size of a Cunard liner!” he says.
After immersing himself in the city’s maritime records, Ware soon realised that the real story had deeper, more profound resonances. That retracing this fabled transatlantic route o!ered a way into the soul of the place we call home.
“After doing extensive research with the Museum of Liverpool,
the library and the University, we fell in love with the whole story of Cunard in Liverpool, and of the city’s connections to the eastern seaboard of the US,” he admits - research that revealed how, between 1830-1930, over nine million people emigrated from Britain to the so called promised land of America. Stories of Winston Churchill, on-board the Cunard Queen Elizabeth ship shortly after the end of World War II, addressing the nation. Stories of celebrities, storms, social climbing and real, powerful social history.
Our stories. “Sound is such an important
sense that can evoke strong emotions,” Ware says, “Telling these tales on such a large scale installation as The Crossing will be incredibly moving. We’ve been working hard to make sure we do them justice. We don’t want anyone to say ‘that couldn’t have happened like that’.
For Ware, who started his musical CV as a founding member of the Human League, before creating Heaven 17, the piece represents the most ambitious of his electronic adventures.
“It sits somewhere between daring and foolhardy,” he laughs. “All I can do is commend Liverpool ONE, it’s a genuine piece of exciting, immersive art. We’re taking risks with this, but I’m sure it’s something people are going to remember for a long time.”
The CrossingLiverpool ONEMay 15 - July 5thecrossing.liverpool-one.com
WATCHSomeone didn’t read the script.
Liverpool’s BAY TV is way better than local TV is supposed to be. Check out
The Guide (pictured)��WKH�FKDQQHOpV�IXOO�throttle culture magazine show.
baytvliverpool.com
LISTEN(TXDO�SDUWV�EULOOLDQW�DQG�ERQNHUV��5RJHU�Phillip’s midday BBC Radio Merseyside
SKRQH�LQ�LV�/LYHUSRRO�DW�LWV�PRVW�SDVVLRQDWH�DQG�VWUDLJKW�WDONLQJ��
12pm-2pm every weekday/ DAB,
online or 95.8FM.
FEEL*UDE�DQG�JUDSSOH�\RXU�ZD\�RYHU��XQGHU�and around the boulders in Liverpool’s brilliant Climbing Hangar. It’s also likely \RXpOO�IHHO�\RXU�EXP�KLW�WKH�ERXQF\�ƮRRU�
PDWV�HYHU\�QRZ�DQG�WKHQ��WRR�theclimbinghangar.com
SMELL/XVK�6SD�RƪHUV�D�VHULHV�RI�LQWR[LFDWLQJ�
sensory adventures. Try their new three DQG�D�KDOI�KRXU�WUHDWPHQW�LQVSLUHG�E\�WKH�SODQHWV���D�PDVVDJH��KHDG\�IUDJUDQFHV��DQG�D�OLIWHG�IDFLDO��2XW�RI�WKLV�ZRUOG�
lush.co.uk/shop/liverpool
TASTE$�WDVWH�RI�/LYHUSRRO"�6XUH��ZKDW�
SRVWFRGH"�$QGUHZ�+XEEDUGpV�3RVWFRGH�honey distills and bottles sweet nectar IURP�QHLJKERXUKRRGV�DURXQG�WKH�FLW\��3LFN�LW�XS�LQ�FDIHV�DURXQG�WKH�FLW\�
twitter.com/dunbarrover
Liverpool’s distinctive green and white &LW\%LNHV�RƪHU�RQH�RI�WKH�EHVW�ZD\V�WR�JHW�DURXQG�WKH�FLW\���DQG�EH\RQG��*LYH�LW�D�JR���WKHUH�DUH�ELNH�VWDWLRQV�GRWWHG�MXVW�DERXW�HYHU\ZKHUH��3ULFHV�IURP����
per day. An interactive map even shows you how many bikes are available at
each station.
TRY THIS&\FOH�IURP�3LHU�+HDG�)HUU\�7HUPLQDO�
to Otterspool and double back to )HVWLYDO�*DUGHQV���D�OHLVXUHO\�KDOI�DQ�KRXU��/HDYH�\RXU�ELNH�WKHUH��DQG�ZDON�EDFN�WR�WKH�FLW\��IRU�WUHPHQGRXV�YLHZV�back towards the Three Graces. Stop IRU�VRPHWKLQJ�FRRO�DQG�UHIUHVKLQJ�DW�
Albert Dock. Try wine and deli bites at Vinea (www.vinealiverpool.co.uk)
www.citybikeliverpool.co.uk
:RXOG�\RX�SXW�WKH�VXUYLYDO�RI�WKH�KXPDQ�UDFH�EHIRUH�\RXU�RZQ"�:HOO��LWpV�WLPH�WR�ƬQG�RXW��/LYHUSRRO�LV�RQ�WKH�EULQN�RI�DQQLKLODWLRQ��=RPELHV�
RXW�QXPEHU�VXUYLYRUV�DQG�WKH�FLW\�LV�humanity’s last stand. Will you make it WKURXJK�WKH�QLJKW"��)LQG�RXW�ZKHQ�����+RXUV�/DWHU��WKH�XUEDQ�]RPELH�FKDVH�
game rattles its way to our city this VXPPHU��<RXpOO�EH�JLYHQ�D�IXOO\�ƮHVKHG�
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Christmas party.
Tickets start from £38 per person and
DUH�DYDLODEOH�IRU�ƬYH�QLJKWV�LQ�-XO\��7R�ƬQG�RXW�PRUH��WR�ZDWFK�WKH�
trailer, or to book tickets, go to
www.2.8HoursLater.com
Zombie Nation
On Our Bike
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
06
Liverpool and Mexico go way back. There’s HYHQ�D�FKDLQ�RI�KLJK�HQG�department stores called Liverpool over there ��FHOHEUDWLQJ�WKH�WZR�nation’s bonds (back in WKH���WK�FHQWXU\�PXFK�RI�the merchandise sold in Mexico was shipped via our busy port). But our links didn’t extend to the IDEOHG�GD\V�RI�WKH�0D\DQ�(PSLUH��8QWLO�QRZ��WKDW�LV�
7KLV�VXPPHU��:RUOG�Museum in Liverpool uncover the hidden WUHDVXUHV�RI�WKH�0D\DV�with the breathtaking 0D\DV��UHYHODWLRQ�RI�DQ�HQGOHVV�WLPH��ORRNLQJ�EDFN�WKRXVDQGV�RI�\HDUV�on an journey to an age RI�PDJLF��P\VWHU\��DQG�majesty.
What made the ancient 0D\DV�ORRN�WR�WKH�VWDUV"�Why was their civilisation
VR�SRZHUIXO"�+RZ�GLG�WKH\�FRPPXQLFDWH"�0D\DV�OLIWV�WKH�YHLO�RQ�WKLV�WUDQVIRUPDWLYH�SHULRG�LQ�/DWLQ�$PHULFDQ�KLVWRU\��WKURXJK�����VWXQQLQJ�REMHFWV�IURP�KLVWRULFDO�sites in Mexico.
���-XQH�t����2FWREHUWorld Museum Liverpool,
William Brown Street
liverpoolmuseums.org.
uk/mayas
Maya Madness
SUITS YOU
A Beautiful Thing
Mapping It Out:KHQ�RXU�IDYRXULWH�PHQpV�RXWƬWWHU�FDVWV�LWV�JD]H�RYHU�RWKHU�FDUHIXOO\�FXUDWHG�HQWHUSULVHV��ZH�NQRZ�ZHpUH�LQ�VDIH�KDQGV��,I�WKH\�FDQ�VXLW�DQG�ERRW�XV��WKH\�FDQ�SRLQW�XV�LQ�WKH�GLUHFWLRQ�RI�RWKHU�IDVKLRQDEO\�UHOLDEOH�SRUWV�RI�FDOO��KHUH�DQG�IDU��WRR��:HDYHUpV�'RRUpV�FROOHFWLRQ�RI�FXOW�PRGHUQ�FODVVLFV�LV�WKH�FLW\pV�PRVW�GHSHQGDEOH�����&DYHUQ�Walks).
“The Independent Map Company (IDMC°) is a collective committed to celebrating and promoting a diverse
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“On our travels we have uncovered D�ZHDOWK�RI�JUHDW�SODFHV��DOO�GHYRWHG�WR�good quality design and individualism. IDMC° aims to showcase these hidden VWRUHV��FDIHV��EDUV�DQG�VWXGLRV�r�)RXQGHG�LQ�-XO\������E\�0LNH�*DQQRQ�
DQG�/HH�)OHPLQJ��7KH�,QGHSHQGHQW�0DS�Company is your alternative route map to an altogether sharper city break.
independentmap.co
:H�OLNH�WR�ORRN�RXU�EHVW�DURXQG�KHUH��KDYH�\RX�QRWLFHG"��7KH\�VD\�EHDXW\�LV�PRUH�WKDQ�VNLQ�GHHS��%XW��KH\��LWpV�D�SUHWW\�JRRG�SODFH�WR�VWDUW��&OHDU�D�IHZ�KRXUV��WDNH�D�GHGLFDWHG�H[SUHVV�OLIW�WR�WKH�6HFRQG�)ORRU�RI�%HDXW\�%D]DDU��+DUYH\�1LFKROV��DQG�JHW�UHDG\�WR�JORZ��+HUH�OLHV�D�VXLWH�RI�SULYDWH�%HDXW\�Rooms housing specialist treatments DQG�VHUYLFHV�IURP�D�UDQJH�RI�VNLQFDUH�EUDQGV�LQFOXGLQJ�(OHPLV��'HUPDORJLFD��/DQFÍPH��&OLQLTXH��(63$��6LVOH\�DQG�Crème de la Mer. :LWKLQ��D�WHDP�RI�H[SHUWV�DUH�UHDG\�DQG�
ZDLWLQJ�WR�UHOD[��UHFKDUJH�DQG�UHQHZ�\RX���ZLWK�WKH�ZRUOGpV�EHVW�EHDXW\�EUDQGV��DQG�WKH�YHU\�ODWHVW�QRQ�VXUJLFDO�WUDQVIRUPDWLRQV��7KH�%HDXW\�%D]DDU��D�XQLTXH�WR�/LYHUSRRO�FRQFHSW�IRU�+DUYH\�1LFKROV��LV�\RXU�JR�WR�GHVWLQDWLRQ�IRU�DQ�LQVWDQW�JRUJHRXVQHVV�UH�ERRW��WKLQN�SDPSHULQJ��WRS�SURGXFWV�DQG��\HV��HYHQ�3URVHFFR��LWpV�DOO�LQ�D�GD\pV�ZRUN��GRZQ�Peter’s Lane way.
Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols,
Peters Lane
harveynichols.com/store/liverpool/
7KLV�VXPPHU�3DR��LV�ORRNLQJ�DIWHU�WKH�yard at District. The suntrap at the FRUQHU�RI�)OLQW�6WUHHW�DQG�1HZ�%LUG�Street in the Baltic Triangle is getting a IDFH�OLIW��DQG�ZLOO�IHDWXUH�$VLDQ�LQVSLUHG�VWUHHW�IRRG�PDGH�DQG�VROG�IURP�WKH�IRRG�truck on site all summer long.q7KH�PHQX�ZLOO�YDU\�IURP�GD\�WR�GD\��GHSHQGLQJ�RQ�ZKDW�LV�IUHVK��LQWHUHVWLQJ�DQG�H[FLWLQJ�r�SURPLVHV�3DRpV�0LD�7DJJ��DGGLQJ�D�VHDVRQ�RI�ORZ�NH\�GD\WLPH�HYHQWV�SURJUDPPHG�IRU�oVXQQ\�GD\Vp���
We have our share. “We change things up a little on 6DWXUGD\V�DQG�6XQGD\V��DQG�IRFXV�RQ�Ƭ[LQJ�\RXU�KDQJRYHU��<RX�FDQ�H[SHFW�WKLQJV�OLNH�-DSDQHVH�%ORRG\�0DU\V��'LUW\�)ULHG�5LFH�DQG�+DQJRYHU�1RRGOHV�RQ�WKHVH�JORULRXV�RFFDVLRQV��r�:HpUH�VR�there.
Pao! @ District
Entrance at the Corner of Flint Street
and New Bird Street
To Pao
07
Farm Assured
Gardener’s Worlds
ExPRESS YOURSELF
9LEUDQW��VKRFNLQJ�DQG�YLWDO��-DFNVRQ�3ROORFNpV�H[SORVLYH�FDQYDVVHV�VLJQDO�D�VHLVPLF�VKLIW�LQ�WKH�DUWV�ZRUOG��DV��ZLWK�WKH�HQG�RI�:RUOG�:DU�7ZR��LWV�FHQWUH�RI�JUDYLW\�VKLIWHG�IURP�3DULV�WR�WKH�1HZ�:RUOG�RI�1HZ�<RUN�DQG�the US. To coincide with Liverpool’s transatlantic FHOHEUDWLRQV�WKLV�VSULQJ��7DWH�/LYHUSRRO�LV�KRVWLQJ�D�PDMRU�UHWURVSHFWLYH�RI�WKH�UHVWOHVV��FRQWURYHUVLDO�EXW�DOZD\V�HVVHQWLDO�DEVWUDFW�H[SUHVVLRQLVW�JHQLXV��q7KLV�LV�ZKDW�WKH�7DWH�LV�DERXW�r�VD\V�$QGUHD�1L[RQ��
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-DFNVRQ�3ROORFN��%OLQG�6SRWV7DWH�/LYHUSRRO�����-XQH�t����2FWREHU�����Adult £11, concession £8.25
tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool
Liverpool looks lovely at this time of year. Immerse yourself in some of our beautiful al fresco spaces for an instant, reviving blast of nature, minutes away from the bustle of the city.
Festival GardensSerpentine lakes, oriental pagodas and grassy lawnsRiverside Drive, Liverpoolliverpoolfestivalgardens.com
National Wildflower CentreNatural wildflower habitats and hands-on fun for kidsRoby Road, Knowsleynwc.org.uk
Speke Hall (pictured)Riverside woodlands, wildlife walks and a kid’s mazeThe Walk, Spekenationaltrust.org.uk/speke-hall
Ness GardensCatch the laburnum arch, and azelias, at their peak in JuneNeston Road, Neston, nessgargens.org.uk
Waterloo Seafront GardensTranquil marine gardens, close to Gormley’s Iron Men, Marine Garden, Waterloo, Crosbyfowsg.co.uk
Over on the idyllic rolling "elds of Wirral’s Claremont Farm, Farm Feast is set to o!er two days of food, drink and music this June. Celebrating everything that’s homegrown, the festival o!ers a taste of the "nest local food producers, chefs creating exciting dishes with sourced ingredients and even a space for Little Feasters to tickle their tastebuds.
This year The Farm headline the Main stage on Saturday 13th June. The legendary Liverpool band crowns a weekend of melodic soundtracks to go with all the good grub. “At our heart we love great food but the best times are always those with a soundtrack to match,” says Fest main-man, Andrew Pimbley. As the food is locally sourced, so is the music so expect the best up and coming
as well as established music acts from Merseyside on the festival’s two stages including Married to the Sea, The Maydays, The Mono LPs, Paddy Clegg and The Ragamu$ns across the Saturday and Sunday.
In Chef’s Theatre, chef and baker John Whaite will be cooking up a storm alongside Nisha Katona from Mowgli (read her story on p46), Katy Ashworth from CBeebies and Matt Worswick from Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa. Ship and Mitre provide the ale. Eat, drink and make merry.
Buy tickets for Farm Feast on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June at www.farmfeast.co.uk where you can also find the lineup. Tickets start at £8, children under 4 go free.
08
OUR TIP
DE LA SOULHip-hop legends still firing on all cylinders30 May, O2 Academy, Hotham Street
MAROON 5Euphoric US R’n’B rockers come to town
29 May, Echo Arena, Kings Dock
EARTHDelicious, immersive drone-jazz
explorations in alt.everything1 June, Kazimier, Wolstenholme Sq
GIANT SANDTucson-based Americana rockers
3 June, St George’s Hall Concert Room, Lime St
ATOMIC KITTENWhole again, after 15 years of hits
12 June, O2 Academy, Hotham Street
PEGGY SEEGARFolk legend, still fired up
13 June, Capstan Theatre, Shaw Street
ARIEL PINKDay-glo Los Angeles psyche-popsters
13 June, District, Baltic Triangle
OUTFITLiverpool’s art-pop ensemble return
18 June, Kazimier, Wolstenholme Sq
SUZANNE VEGA Erudite and eclectic folk star
16 June, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street
X&Y FESTIVALHomegrown music fest, featuring local
favourites The Hummingbirds11 July, Arts Club, Seel Street
Need to add to your vinyl collection while you’re here? Head to Liverpool’s longest running independent record
store, Probe, on School Lane.
LiveGIG GUIDE
YOUNG FATHERS
The Spiders Are Coming
The magnetic Mercury-winning Scottish hip hop/funk/electronica kings head to the Kazimier venue for the "rst (and probably last) time, before the much-loved space closes its doors early next year.7 June, The Kazimier, Wolstenholme Sq
Legendary Bowie bandmates, producer/bass player Tony Visconti and drummer Woody
Woodmansey (aka The Spiders From Mars), are playing music together as they originally
did with David Bowie and Mick Ronson in 1970. Fronting the band is Glenn Gregory of
Heaven 17. Their mission? To recreate one of the 70’s most seminal albums - David Bowie’s
‘The Man Who Sold The World’, the album that kickstarted Bowie’s strange and singular
musical odyssey into the otherworldly and, frankly, brilliant. And they’ve brought along
a band of very special guests, featuring Marc Almond, James Stevenson (Generation X),
Paul Cuddeford, and Terry Edwards.18 June, O2 Academy, Hotham Street
09
Table Talk
LET’S GO OUTSIDE
THE BOTANIC GARDENGins, cocktails and good times all summer long in this Baltic hangout, by the people who brought us Berry and Rye’s prohibition bourbon joint.
5 New Bird StreetBaltic Triangle
CONSTELLATIONSStreet food, craft beer and summery tunes til late is always on the menu in this huge and handsome Baltic suntrap. Open air dancing a distinct possibility.
37 Greenland StreetBaltic Triangleconstellations-liv.com
THE YACHT CLUBEnjoy a glass of "zz, a summery salad, and pretend one of those sleek yachts is yours, at Liverpool Marina’s stylish waterside bar and bistro.
Liverpool MarinaCoburg Wharfyachtclubliverpool.co.uk
KAZIMIER GARDENA summer-long programme of gigs, DJ sets and impromptu feasts always perks up proceedings in this gloriously o!-kilter urban wonderland.
4-5 Wolstenholme Sqthekazimier.co.uk/garden
FREE STATE KITCHENThe burgers are (in our opinion) the best in town - and the huge garden is a real hidden gem. Grab a lager and a quarter pounder, and shu%e that 5/2 diet around.
1 Maryland Streetfreestatekitchen.co.uk
FOOD & DRINK
Five places to drink in the sun, soak up the sounds, and stop the world awhile...
10
The Late Late Breakfast Show
–or–TEA? COFFEE?
Italian Job
Say Cheese
Missed breakfast? Don’t worry - Liverpool does brunch brilliantly. We love Lucha Libre’s (96 Wood Street) spiced up twist on the MxMu$n, with jalapenos, house chili and oozy cheese, and their maple glazed bacon tacos, morcilla and scrambled egg. Slim’s Pork Chop Express’ (85 Seel Street, pic above) Full Plisskin is like a rescue remedy made real. No matter how big the night before, this’ll sort it: homemade smoked sausage, house bacon, smoked brisket beans, eggs and garlic tomato. The little corner of Beirut on Bold Street, Bakchich (54 Bold Street) serves up wonderfully authentic Shakshouka (eggs poached in a piquant tomato sauce), and the Full Lebanese, a plate of fried eggs sprinkled with sumac, crushed broad beans, #atbreads stu!ed with halloumi, and organic lab’neh (thick yoghurt). School Lane’s Interesting Eating Company specialise in wa%es, pancakes and crepes - a Liverpool ONE pop up of this popular Allerton Road cafe.
Where: Tea Parlour, 23 Mathew Street
Why: Vintage afternoon teas; weekend pianist; plans for a tea cocktail
bar.Best brew: Limited-
edition Cloud Tea. Book ahead.
Where: Oh Me Oh My, West Africa House,
Water StreetWhy: Elegant former
bank turned grand tea house; great roof-top
gardenBest brew: Champagne
Cassis tea.
Where: Unit 51, 51 Jamaica Street
Why: Sample the buzz of this rapidly developing
arty neighbourhood Best brew: Phom tea’s bold, rich, blended-in-
Liverpool infusion
Where: Golden Square Co!ee, 28 Wood
StreetWhy: Co!ee
evangelists of the highest order, great
lunches tooBest brew: Their cold
brew co!ee o!ers a chilled kick of energy
Where: Filter and Fox, 27 Duke StreetWhy: Intimate
bolt-hole close to LiverpoolONE, with
ace small plate lunchesBest brew: The
flat white is creamy, balanced and rich.
Where: 92 Degrees Co!ee, 24 Hardman
StreetWhy: It’s Liverpool’s first micro-roasteryBest brew: Cortado - a rich espresso cut
with a small amount of warm milk.
“Our ambition was always to open our own casual dining o!ering,” says Paolo Cillo, co-owner of Manzo with his brother Donato. They helm the sleek Il Forno (Paolo’s Head Chef ) in Duke Street, and the surefooted P&D’s deli on Williamson Square.Overlooking Chavasse Park, Manzo o!ers an easy mix of grill favourites, lobsters, pizza and pasta: a little taste of home (Potenza, in southern Italy) in the heart of the city.“We wanted to create something a little
bit di!erent,” Paolo says. “We’re big fans of hearty, mouth-watering meaty dishes that combine beautiful aromas with unique textures.” Attributes that reach perfection on their gluten free hacked steak tartare. “We took Manzo down a very fun and no nonsense route. We wanted to show you can have with authentic Italian ingredients treated with love.”
Manzo GrillChavasse Park, Liverpool ONE
manzogrill.co.uk
Named best UK sandwich recently, Baltic Bakehouse’s aptly-named UGC really is
the Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwich. It would be: it starts with the Bakehouse’s
award winning sourdough loaf, and builds from there, in a gooey concoction of mature
cheddar, Gruyere, red and white onions and leek.
Baltic Bakehouse46 Bridgewater Streetbalticbakehouse.co.uk
11
School’s In“A modern gastropub, with intelligently sourced, fresh, vibrant food flavours,” that’s
the promise of David Mooney - Chef Patron at The Old
Blind School - a 200-cover new venture at the top of the town. “But we’ll find
room for some traditional dishes, done with heart and
humour,” he says. Add to that over 20 wines by the glass (‘personally and frequently tasted by us,’ Mooney adds)
local cask ales, and ‘rivers of fantastic cocktails’.
Old Blind School24 Hardman Street
newmoonco.uk
Lunch To Go
To Boldly GoCover Stars
PETER KINSELLA, LUNYA“I’d plump for Montbru Sarro de Bufala (£7.90/200g), an unpasteurised bu!alo milk cheese made in Mas Montbru in the Moianes region of Catalunya. It has a smooth and creamy texture and unique aroma of woodland and green pasture. Galletas Marineras al Romero (£2.95/240g) is a traditional artisan biscuit which in the old days, seamen would take with them on their long trips around the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1890, the Noceras family has been baking homemade Marineras, using their own secret recipe. They’re perfect accompaniments to any Spanish charcuterie, cheese and as part of any tapas. Then I’d add a dollop of Allioli (£3.75/175g). This is essentially a mix of olive oil and garlic – using purple garlic to give a rich garlicky #avour without the bitterness of some other garlics. It can be used with all sorts of meals and it’s very good with chips. For drinks, I’d serve Rezebal (£24.95), a crisp Basque wine made with the indigenous Hondarribi Zuri grape.”
Lunya, 18 College LaneLiverpool Onelunya.co.uk
CANDICE FONSECA, DELIFONSECA“I’d start with a Delifonseca Salad box stu!ed with tabbouleh, roasted vegetable couscous, potato salad, "ery noodle salad, three-bean salad, (£4.25 / 650ml box). I’d add Three Pigs Hot Fennel Salami (£6.65) - they’re made in Yorkshire from rare breed pigs. Then a trio Pelagonia meze pack. Made in Macedonia, these Pindjur, Malidzano and Aivar mezes do really amazing things when you combine them with peppers, aubergines and tomatoes (£11.50), and some Cheshire air-dried ham and Italian Ventricina from our charcuterie counter (from £1.60/100g). Millers Cranberry and Raisin Toast by Artisan Biscuits in Derbyshire are just so unbelievably tasty you’ll want to eat them on their own (£3.35). For drinks I’d plump for a delicious Domaine Langlois-Chateau Cabernet de Saumur Rose wine. As a classic Cabernet Franc rosé it’s absolutely ideal with summer salads and cooked meats, too (£10.45).”
DelifonsecaBrunswick Dockdelifonseca.co.uk
A ‘ghetto Asian soul food concept’. That’s the mind-
melting idea behind Mr Miyagi’s. “We sampled the
best Asian foods in Australia and south east Asia,” says co-founder Alex Hannah. “This is relaxed and comfortable
food that’s good for your soul. “Like New York’s brilliant
Momofuku, it’s food cooked from the heart,” says Alex of his Japanese-centred Bold
Street venue (opens end May). Expect Korean fried
wings, steamed buns, ramen and sushi. “We’ll only do the meals we can do really well. Fresh, exciting, honest food
to share with friends.”
Mr Miyagi’s77 Bold Street
Twitter: @mistermiyagis
Need a cake "x, and need it quick? Head to Cuthbert’s Bakehouse - star
of this issue’s cover: “We must go through about 20 cakes every week,”
says owner Elaine, of the cafe with its own dedicated cake menu. But its afternoon teas are equally decadent.
Favourites? “Our red velvet. A triple layer cream cheese and white chocolate cake that sells out daily.”
Cuthbert’s Bakehouse103 Mount Pleasant
cuthbertsbakehouse.co.uk
TABLE TALK
We asked our two favourite city delis to conjure up the ingredients for a perfect summer picnic. They didn’t disappoint. We’ll bring the corkscrew.
Above: Vintage Picnic Set: BHS (£27.50)
12
ONE MAGNIFICENT CITY
For Liverpool’s Cruise and Operations Manager, Angie Redhead, it’s the culmination of a decade spent full steam ahead.
it’s liverpool meets her ahead of one very special summer.
THE GOLDEN AGE
OF THE CRUISE LINERS IS RETURNING
TO OUR SHORES
ONE MAGNIFICENT CITY
of it. No problem,” Angie says. We’re standing on the wharf
of Liverpool’s latest big-top: but the circus isn’t in town. Not quite. We’re at the city’s turnaround cruise terminal. For now, a tented a!air. But before long, if Angie gets her way (and she usually does), it’ll be as permanent a "xture as those ten-foot-tall green birds atop the Liver Buildings. Mayor Joe Anderson’s already con"rmed his commitment to construct a purpose-built terminal. When complete, we’ll be able to welcome the world’s largest cruise ships: mighty, mountainous liners, capable of carrying upwards of 6,000 passengers. A small town, set adrift.
Make no mistake: the cruise ships are here to stay. Maybe not individually - the sleek white behemoth we’re cowering beneath will be setting sail tonight - but the city, and the ships, are locked in a love a!air that’s resulted in Cruise Critic awards, Passenger Survey top spots and, recently, clinching Disney Cruises - one of just two English destinations chosen for a visit by the #oating cast of Frozen and co.
When Disney Magic calls into the city next summer, it’ll be the culmination of years spent promoting Liverpool at Seatrade, the cruise industry’s premier event, in Miami.
“Other ports send entire departments. For Liverpool, it’s just me. And I love it. In 2006 we didn’t have a terminal. I just sold the dream!”
It must have been, even for Angie, an intimidating
experience? “It’s a massive bun "ght!” she laughs. “Every port in the world is trying to secure a ten minute slot with every cruise line director. People who’ve been in the industry for years, who know the cruise line directors’ wives and children. It’s like an exclusive little club. And there’s me, this woman from Liverpool, barging into the party!”
But there is method in Angie’s solo transatlantic voyage: ‘They know me, and I know I’ve got all the answers. And, let’s face it, you can’t sell something you don’t love. I love Liverpool. So my job’s easy, really.”
We have the distinct feeling Angie’s underselling herself. For any city, even one as wonderful as ours, to rise up the cruise pecking order so far, so fast, is unheard of in the stately world of cruising. Remember Speed 2: Cruise Control? The slowest action movie in history? That’s fast-paced and nail-biting when it comes to the turning circle of the cruise industry. And yet, within a decade, we’re up there with Venice, St Petersburg and the Fjords: attracting hundreds of thousands of passengers, slugging it out with Saint Lucia, showing the world why we, honestly, always loved the cruise industry. We were just on a break, honestly.
“But this city makes it so much easier,” Angie says. “And I’m not just talking about the Beatles, and the wonderful museums and shops, it’s the people. We always end up closing the road when a big cruise ship docks. We’ll get 20,000 or so at the waterfront just to see a static ship. Talk about a
“THERE ARE VERY FEW
PLACES WHERE A
CRUISE CAN BERTH IN THE CITY CENTRE. LIKE SYDNEY
AND NEW YORK, OUR
PASSENGERS HAVE THE
CITY ON THEIR DOORSTEP”
lot can happen in ten years around here. A decade ago, Liverpool had no cruise terminal. No year-round calendar of camera-snapping, disembarking tourists "nding their sea legs on the cobbles of the Albert Dock.
But we saw a sea change in the market. We saw how cruises were cool again. And we wanted a slice of it. Enter Angie Redhead. Back then, Cruise Development Manager overseeing little more than a bullish statement of intent. Now she’s head of Cruise Operations: masterminding a cruise call schedule busier than ever, and, ooh, just the odd maritime-history-changing, three-Queens-calling, one-million-visitors-attracting event this summer.
No pressure, then? Certainly none’s showing, just weeks away from the biggest day the Mersey’s seen in modern history.
“It’s all swan legs,” Angie laughs, as we take a tour of a waterfront that, before long, will be thronged with visitors coming to witness a rare alignment of three stars of the cruising world: the Cunard Queens. “Managing the logistics of cruise calls is just about two things: space and time. Get them right and it’s plain sailing.”
Angie makes it sound so easy. Like parking a car in Sainsbury’s on a Saturday shopping trip. In fact, she’s talking about "nding space for 350,000 tonnes of #oating real estate, and 8,000 passengers. But then, she has already welcomed half a million water-borne tourists to our shores since she took up o$ce ten years ago. If anyone can make this happen, Angie can.
“Our maritime logistics are the best in Europe,” she says. “And I know what the cruise industry wants. They want to hear their passengers have been taken care of. That there’s been no complaints. That our city has been a highlight of the cruise. In Liverpool, I can promise them all
A
16
“THERE’S NO POINT DOING
THESE THINGS IF THEY DON’T
ExCITE YOU”
massive welcome!”Seems, even after the years
when we turned our back on the river, it’s still in our blood. It still pulls us to the shore.
“And the cruise industry feels this,” Angie says. “They sense the pride, the a$liation. It why Cunard instantly knew that this was the place to stage something really special this year,” she says.
Of course, this isn’t a Liverpool story alone. The British Isles represent a real sweet-spot for itinerary planners: a wealth of great excursions easily accessible from a clutch of well-run ports. We are, let’s face it, an island nation.
But, with our newly acquired turnaround status (allowing cruises to begin, and end their journey here) comes an added bonus: rather than the brief shore leave, passengers can spend the night here, crew too. They can really get to know us well.
“I’ll be honest. Passenger expectation isn’t particularly high. But the satisfaction ratings are phenomenal. Our passengers are blown away from the moment they arrive,” she says.
“We make friends with everyone - passengers, waiters, captains. They’re the people who’ll sell our story when they get home. They’re our ambassadors at sea!” she adds.
Next up? It’s got to be the terminal - a physical statement of intent.
“You don’t build a cruise terminal knowing you’ve got customers waiting, you have to take the gamble. It’s paid o! so far, but ships are getting bigger. We’re welcoming 80,000 passengers this year, next year it’s already at 95,000,” Angie says, of 2016’s record-breaking 62-ship season.
“I know that Liverpool will become a mainstay on key cruise line itineraries,” Angie says, when we ask her to imagine where we’ll be in ten years’ time. “There are very few places where a cruise can berth in the city centre. Like Sydney and New York, our passengers have the city on their doorstep. And our terminal is in a World Heritage site!”
Make no mistake, there is a sea change in cruising. Whereas once the pursuit was the preserve of retired company execs, now in the UK it’s a £2 billion industry. And passengers are getting younger. Keener to sample the thrills of a cultural city like ours.
“You can do all the business models and logistics exercises you want, but it’s the human element that’s so important,” Angie says. “Get that right, give cruise travellers a world class experience, and the cruise liners will have to listen. Liverpool’s waterfront was always the primary gateway to the city. It’s great to think that it could be again.”
cruise-liverpool.com
TRAVEL TIP24-26 May will be a busy three days for transport. Make an informed choice about how to get to the city and home again by seeing all your travel options atmerseytravel.gov.uk
“If my antenna isn’t wobbling about, I know it’s not for me,” Wayne Hemingway says, of his impending date with one very special maritime anniversary.
Fortunately for us, Wayne’s bobbling ariel’s bringing the city a bit of do this summer. Transatlantic 175 will see the culmination of the city - and Cunard’s - date with destiny: an all singing, all dancing, all munching
mash-up, celebrating Cunard’s Atlantic-facing ports of call.
Hemingway’s set to stage manage a special series of events across
the city on Saturday July 4, 2015, to coincide with Cunard’s flagship RMS Queen Mary 2 sailing for New York, Boston and Halifax from Liverpool Cruise Terminal - a full 175 years
after the world’s first transatlantic passenger crossing.
“It’ll be a public celebration,” he promises, “a real participatory event. You’ll be able to dance in the street,
parade on a catwork, be part of a world record, and enjoy great food.”
“There’s no point doing these things if they don’t excite you,”
Hemingway says of the event that promises a vintage car cavalcade,
a world-record attempt at the biggest catwalk show ever staged,
and an open air disco showcasing the musical ties between our port cities.
“This is such a big occasion that it will bring back those cultural links with New York and North America,”
he says. “We’ll ensure this is an international celebration.”Legendary DJ Greg Wilson
promises a barnstorming celebration of the ‘Cunard Yanks’ - those hip seamen thought to have brought
rock’n’roll to Merseyside (and, eventually, to the ears of a certain
Lennon and McCartney).“I’d never heard of these stories,
and they’re amazing,” Hemingway says. “While Cunard is at the heart of
this, the event is about celebrating the excitement of ocean travel, and
Liverpool is where it all started.”“It’s a very individual place,”
Hemingway says. “I’m from Lancashire, but Liverpool always felt a bit exotic to me. Unlike anywhere
else. Now I’ve looked into its ties with the US I’m really beginning to
understand why.”Come to our party on 4/5th July,
featuring Eat The Atlantic festival, a vintage car cavalcade and Vintage On
The Docks, and you will too.
UNITED STATES OF LIVERPOOL
17
Photo courtesy of The Casa Bar, Hope Street
Wed 3 Jun to Sat 27 Jun
The Hudsucker Proxy
Based on the Warner Bros. film, ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’, written by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen & Sam Raimi
Adapted for the stage by Simon DormandyDirectors Simon Dormandy and Toby Sedgwick
A co-production with Nuffield, SouthamptonPresented with kind permission of Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures
Based on the Coen Brothers’ joyful, wise-cracking romantic comedy which helped establish them
among the most entertaining and distinctive film-makers of our time, this timely take on corporate
greed is a highly theatrical, inventively staged treat.
Wed 1 Jul to Sat 25 Jul
Arthur Miller’s
The HookAdapted for the stage by Ron HutchinsonDirected by James DacreA co-production with Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Amidst the political tensions of 1950s America, Arthur Miller’s The Hook was suppressed by the FBI for fear that it could cause unrest in New York’s dockyards. Now, to mark the centenary of the great playwrights’ birth, we have brought it to the stage for the first time in a new adaptation by Emmy Award-winning Ron Hutchinson.
Up & cominge&P Productions
facebook.com/everymanplayhouse @LivEveryPlay youtube.com/everymanplayhouseeverymanplayhouse.com
0151 709 4776
*A single transaction fee of £2 applies to all phone, counter and internet bookings when a credit or debit card is used.
Sets and the CityBetween read-throughs and rehearsals, we get a director’s commentary on the EverymanPlayhouse Artistic Director’s must-visit city sights.
MY LIVERPOOL
t the helm of Liverpool’s re-energised (and Stirling Prize-winning) Everyman, and its venerable city-centre sibling The Playhouse, Gemma Bodinetz is stage managing another season of world premiers, surefooted revivals and freshly made-in-Liverpool productions. And, with every sell-out show, another raft of "ve star reviews washes up on those Hope Street billboards. “If I say so myself, it might be the best season yet,” Bodinetz admits over morning co!ee in her dazzling new Hope Street HQ.
“We’ve already had audiences cheering at Educating Rita, and we’re in rehearsals now for the new adaptation of the Coen Brother’s joyful comedy, the Hudsucker Proxy,” Bodinetz beams, of the theatres’ much-anticipated new co-production with Complicite. “It’s just so warm and inventive. It’s funny, but it’s also a really timely take on corporate greed.”
It’s the Everyman way. Find a universal truth. Explore it honestly. Encourage us all engage in a visceral, palpable way. Theatre as a participatory event.
“Oh I hope so,” Bodinetz replies. “Gone are the days when people were content to sit back dozily and let a production wash over them. For us, it has to be adventurous, ambitious. The best theatre should excite everyone. Not patronise. Theatre’s never felt more exciting than now.”
Under Bodinetz’ astute stewardship, Liverpool’s producing theatre as vital as its ever done. How much of that is down to the inspiration culled from Bodinetz’ adopted new home, we ask?
“I’m always really really nervous about saying how much I love it
MY LIVERPOOL
here,” Bodinetz says. “The more I’m here the more remarkable it seems to be. The more I know it, the more I appreciate the depth of it. There is no one Liverpool. Much of the enjoyment is in "nding that part of the city that speaks directly to you…”
MY SECRET SANCTUARY
I’m a great one for walking. I like starting by the waterfront, past all those love-locks on the railings overlooking the Mersey. If I want to clear my head, or am working through a tricky stage in the development of a production, I’ll often walk along here towards Otterspool. The waterfront is breathtaking. There are very few places in this country that can match it. The skies, the sunsets, they’re just extraordinary.
THE PLACE I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH
I’ve been here 12 years now, but I still gravitate to Bold Street and the Ropewalks area of the city. I stumbled upon it on the "rst
days I was here, and I instantly loved it. I love the way day turns to night here - and you go from the bohemian buzz of FACT to the girls in Concert Square done up to the nines. The dual nature of the place is so intoxifying.
MY FAVOURITE TABLE
Oh, that used to be so easy! But now, almost every day you walk down Hope Street or Bold Street, and spy a fabulous new restaurant. I love Mowgli (Bold Street), always love to show o! Camp and Furnace (Greenland Street) to visitors, but my all time favourite is still the Mararaja (London Road), for its fresh, vibrant take on Indian food. And it’s so cheap, too!
ONE NOT!TO!MISS SIGHT
Can I cheat and say Hope Street? Yes, it’s home to our wonderful theatre, but Hope Street still blows my mind. There’s the stunning Philharmonic, the Old Blind School, the atmospheric old side streets, the Unity Theatre, and a Cathedral at either end. How could
Paul
Whi
te
“I LOVE THE WAY DAY TURNS TO 1,*+7�+(5(�Ǧ�AND YOU CAN GO FROM THE
BOHEMIAN BUzz OF FACT TO THE
GIRLS IN CONCERT SqUARE DONE UP
TO THE NINES. THE DUAL NATURE OF THE PLACE IS SO
INTOxIFYING”
A
Top: Hope StreetAbove: Otterspool Promenade
OUR TIP
For a Georgian Quarter treat,
try the delicious cakes at The
Quarter (Falkner Street),
followed by a pint at legendary
pub Ye Cracke (Rice Street).
20
you not be impressed? It’s such a special place. Leicester Square doesn’t even o!er as much culture as this.
WHERE TO GO TO ESCAPE THE CITY
That’s the brilliant thing about Liverpool. You can be amongst the Gormley statues on Crosby beach in less than half an hour, or head to Hilbre Island o! the Dee coast for a sense of real isolation. But the proximity to North Wales makes a day trip so easy. Yes, I’m a city girl - I’m terri"ed of heights, i can’t really swim, and when I go for a walk it has to be quite #at, but fresh air is sometimes the only thing you need to clear your head.
FAVOURITE HIDDEN GEM
I’m wary of trumpeting my hidden gems, because I like to keep them that way. But Berry and Rye (Berry Street), is literally hidden - in that there’s no sign outside. But it’s a special place. They go to a lot of care to make your cocktail perfect. I suppose it’s bit like a theatrical production in there. It’s dark, mysterious and slightly otherworldly!
FAVOURITE EVENT THIS YEAR?
Echo and the Bunnymen with the Philharmonic at Sefton Park (for LIMF Festival in August) will be exciting, and I’m really looking forward to the Jackson Pollock show at Tate Liverpool. I’m quite ignorant about visual art, so it makes me think about people who don’t know much about theatre. Makes me determined to produce work that’s inclusive - so that people don’t have to read a thesis on Brecht to enjoy the Threepenny Opera!
MOST INPSIRING PLACE
Homebaked Bakery in An"eld is amazing. It grew out of the Biennial, but is a real ground-up success story. A story of a community, and a social enterprise, surviving against the odds, and creating something valuable, practical and real. I sort of fell in love with that place. Same goes for the Harthill Youth Centre in Wavertree, who we’ve been working with - using theatre and the arts to provide young people with the skills they need to build a better life for themselves. It’s a magical place, run by extraordinary people.
Hudsucker Proxy, from June 3Everyman, Hope Streeteverymanplayhouse.com
Som
edri
ftw
ood
Clockwise from top: Hilbre Island, Anthony Gormley’s statues on Crosby Beach, Berry and Rye, Jackson Pollock, Homebaked
21
We take a tour/stagger around Liverpool’s resurgent independent
brewing scene. It’s a tough job, etc...
THE LOW DOWN
Through aGlass Darkly
Delicious. Unique. Moreish. We speak not of the it’s liverpool editorial team, but of the growing number of independent breweries that Liverpool’s currently enjoying.
Mark Hensby of Liverpool Organic Brewery warns us against using the term ‘craft beer,’ though.
“That crept in from the States with MillerCoors launching Blue Moon, which is mass produced commercial rubbish,” he says. “Small brewers in the UK latched onto that term producing craft keg beers which we have nothing to do with. It’s a way [for the big boys] to access new and smaller markets.
“We are microbrewers, one of 1400 in the UK. When we started in 2008, there were only 400-odd.”
That increase, says Adam Williams, head brewer at Wirral-based Brimstage, was in part due to legislation.
“In 2002 Progressive Beer Duty (or Small Breweries Relief ) came in which gave tax breaks to microbreweries so there started to be a much wider choice of what to drink,” he explains.
Gaz Matthews at Mad Hatter adds that there is a tradition of Real Ale in the UK, but that the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) de"nition of the term can be particularly restricting.
“There’s an implication that
craft beer is posh, expensive and doesn’t count as real ale,” says Liverpool Craft Beer Company’s Paul Sei!ert, “CAMRA seems to think that craft beer, produced in kegs, is inferior to real ale, which is produced in casks, but lots of brewers are "nding that you can brew great quality beers in a keg. I honestly don’t believe most drinkers care how it’s dispensed. When people hear keg they think of gassy lagers, but the only di!erence to cask is that it’s pressurised.”
For Williams, this brings a freedom to play with new expressions: “Brewing outside CAMRA rules means that you can make more styles such as Belgian beer, IPAs, using carbonation and more,” he notes.
“At Real Ale festivals there are hundreds of bitters that taste similar but we believe people want more interesting ingredients, #avours, yeasts. It’s a younger market that is more into something unusual and even crazy.”
Therefore, it’s not so much a case of competing with the big boys as providing something unique, he adds – a fact that the Liverpool Craft Beer Company have taken, and ran with, with great success.
“We try to brew beers for venues that relate to them in some
“THERE’S AN IMPLICATION THAT CRAFT BEER IS POSH, ExPENSIVE AND DOESN’T COUNT AS REAL ALE”
the local product,” says Angus.“But they do expect a good beer
and a consistent one.”Selling into pub chains holds
no appeal to Liverpool Organic Brewery, notes Mark Hensby.
“Some are owned by breweries so obviously they have to buy their beer from there. And the big PubCos dictate price, so we stay away from them too,” he tells us.
“There are seven and a half million real ale drinkers in the UK. Five million go for the national brands and only 500,000 look for speci"c independent beers. That is the market we’re in. We will never do supermarkets.”
That niche, Adam Williams agrees, is vital.
“Think of something that you’d like to drink and go about making it happen. It’s as simple as that really. The hard part is getting
way, so for Camp and Furnace we brewed Brown Bear, a beer made with honey from bees from Wirral. We also smoke the malt using the same wood that the venue burns in the Furnace,” says Paul Sei!ert.
“For the Kazimier Garden, an outdoor space in the heart of the city, we launched Organo – it’s an English pale ale made with herbs including camomile and woodru!, designed to evoke an English country garden.”
Angus Morrison of Wapping Beer at the Baltic Fleet says that not only is his brewpub the only one on Merseyside, it’s also - surprisingly - the longest-running.
“We started in 2001, and started brewing in 2002 whilst others closed down. People are getting away from the big corporations churning out mass product and want to feel someone cares about
OUR TIPOn a summer’s day, seek out one of Liverpool’s al fresco beer gardens. Try Grove Beer Tap (Concert Steps, o! Seel Street), showcasing made-right-here and imported gems like Flying Dog.
it right but that can also be the really fun part.”
Mad Hatter’s recent Rhubarb and Custard beer is a good example of innovative marketing, with the brewery teasing pictures of the ale’s ingredients online. This, says Gaz Matthews, was what it was about.
“We create rumours behind the beers and then when it comes out "nally everyone wants it. It is a constantly innovative process, but the worry always is that one day the phone will go dead. In two years so far that’s not happened – it is vital that you keep the faith in the beer.”
Using natural and sometimes organic ingredients is a common denominator for the microbreweries, Williams concludes.
“We use natural ingredients and they vary from month to month and year to year so we work hard to make sure we allow for changes and the beer is the best we can make it. We don’t "ght against the big boys as such, just let the beer do the talking.”
Next up? The Dead Crafty Beer Company is opening a new bar in Dale Street - so the beer revival looks set to keep #owing for some time yet. Cheers.
DON’T MISS
TRY IT HERE
The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo 2015 18-21 June,
Constellations, Baltic Triangleliverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com
Brimstage BreweryPen Factory, the Belvedere, Ship &
Mitre, the Grapes, Vernon, Excelsior, Royal Hotel, Liverpool Pigeon,
Volunteer Canteen , Royal Liverpool Golf Club; Crosby: Stamps Wine Bar, Stamps Too; Birkenhead: Gallaghers;
Raby: Wheatsheaf; Heswall: Dee View, Jug & Bottle; Hoylake: Ship Inn .
Liverpool Craft Beer CompanyEast Avenue Bakehouse, West Kirby:
Tap.
Liverpool Organic BreweryLondis Penny Lane, Twenty Three Club, The Grapes, The Caledonia, The Belvedere, The Baltic Social; Manchester: Port St Beer House,
Pie & Ale, Beermoth; Leeds: Friends of Ham.
Mad Hatter AlesLondis Penny Lane; Clove Hitch, Hope
Street, Baltic Social. The Grapes, Jacaranda, Ho:St.
Wapping Brewery is Baltic Fleet’s in-house microbrewery and has recently collaborated with new breweryless brewers Ad Hoc to
create Köllaboration.
Hope StreetHotel
The View From Here...
A place that feels like home, but with a slightly better shower. Why Hope Street Hotel is still cool after all these years.
THE MANIFESTO
EVERYTHING IN A HOTEL SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN IT IS AT HOME. Your shower should be more powerful, your bed more comfortable and your sheets extra white!
THE jOY OF GOOD SERVICE IS ABOUT MEMORY. It’s about remembering someone’s name, about saying ‘welcome back’ to a returning guest. We’re all touched by that. No matter how cynical we think we are.
ONE OF THE SIMPLEST LUxURIES IS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SURRENDER OUR WORRIES. About not having to make the bed, or worry if there’ll be a hot meal available after a long day.
WE’D BE LOST WITHOUT THE PIxIES. Overnight, they transform the place, so that the guests wake up
and the Christmas decoration pixies have done their work! Or the Valentine’s Day pixies, or the Easter Bunny pixies….
BEING CONFIDENT MEANS HAVING PRIDE IN THE PLACE YOU CALL HOME. We were the "rst of our kind opening in Liverpool. We knew journalists would come making jokes about Liverpool. We told our sta! not to take them. We pulled o! all the crime stats, so that when the inevitable stolen car line came up, we could politely say ‘oh, that’s an old joke. Did you know we’re not even in the top twenty for car crime?’
GREAT PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS BE GIVEN THE RIGHT SKILLS.It’s about the warmth of the welcome - that’s the important bit. When we opened, there were plenty of people who not only didn’t know how to pronounce focaccia, but didn’t know what it
When it opened, a decade and a bit ago, Hope Street Hotel’s exposed brick, its rafter’n’girder aesthetic and its hotel-restaurant-as-destination delivered essential CPR to the city’s #atlining hotel industry. Now, it’s extended upwards, outwards and even into inner space (it’s a courtyard, nothing too existential), but it remains the city’s most intimate and assuredly welcoming space. So, what’s its secret? We enjoyed brunch with Dave Brewitt, Chief Executive, and Creative Director Mary Colston to "nd out...
26
the London Carriage Works is tablecloth-free!
WE’VE GOT A BIT MORE GROWING UP TO DO. We’ve been through the terrible twos, we’re entering our teenage years soon. And we’re looking at how we can deliver maybe some spa elements, maybe a little cinema too. We’re asking our customers what they’d like to see.
WE MADE THINGS UP AS WE WENT ALONG. But it was always based on the simple question: how would we liked to be treated? Get that right, and the rest will follow. There’s lots you can learn beforehand but learning as you go is the best way.
BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL. It’s the last memory a guest takes away with them, and a real treat. How many of us have the time to enjoy a full English, or an eggs benedict? don’t know
many people who’ll have a full english breakfast. And we don’t over complicate it. There’s a limited number of microshoots you want with your hash browns.
FOOD AND DRINK IS AT THE HEART OF ALL HOSPITALITY. As Jeremy Clarkson so elegantly pointed out, if the hotel can’t give you a hot meal at the end of a long day, they’ve failed.
LOOK AFTER PEOPLE. Ultimately, we all want to feel special. We want to be metaphorically tucked into our beds at night, in a place that feels safe and secure. Now, we tuck 30,000 people into bed every year. From Nobel Prize winning scientists to pop stars, to holidaying families. And we look after every single guest exactly the same way: the way we’d want to be looked after ourselves.
Hope Street HotelHope Street, Liverpoolhopestreet.co.uk
was. Now, sta! we’ve trained have gone on to become sommeliers of the year, winning ‘best maître d’’ awards, scooping the MasterChef trophy...
BEING DISRUPTIVE PAYS OFF. From the start, we questioned everything. Why do you need a trouser press to get four stars? Everyone hates those things. Why do you need a phone in the bathroom? Who wants to speak to someone on the toilet?
THE BEST HOTELS UNDERPLAY THINGS. It’s not about the outward appearance of wealth, or opulence. It’s about creating a space where people can kick o! their shoes, feel at home, and not worry about ruining the interior decorator’s colour scheme.
I DON’T LIKE LINEN TABLE CLOTHS. Dave: My mother brings them out when it’s a big important day, but I don’t like them, I like to strip away all that perception of what posh is supposed to be. That’s why
“FROM THE START, WE
qUESTIONED EVERYTHING.
WHY DO YOU NEED
A TROUSER PRESS TO GET FOUR STARS?
EVERYONE HATES THOSE
THINGS.”
OUR TIPIf not Room Service, try supper
at sociable Pan-Asian eatery
HoST (Hope Street), then cheese
and cocktails before bedtime at
Kabinett (Myrtle Street, below)
27
TOURS & EXPLORING
Need a new angle on an old city? We’ve as many ways to unearth our secrets as we have stories to tell of just how we got here. So, climb aboard, and fasten your seatbelts. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride (don’t worry, it’s only the cobblestones)...
Look at itThis Way
28
SHIVERPOOL GHOST
TOURS
Uncovering the darker side of Liverpool are the spirit guides at Shiverpool. Tagline? ‘we scare because we care!’. Each tour is 90-minutes long and available all year round, highlighting Liverpool’s gruesome history in the Auld City and the most famous ghouls and ghosts that call Hope Street home. New this season is a terri"cally terrifying Ghost Bus Tour.
0151 709 2030shiverpool.co.ukPrices: Adults: £14 / Concessions: £11 (incl under 16, students, OAPs)
RIBA LIVERPOOL
CITY TOURS
Liverpool’s 800 year history reveals itself in a series of magni"cent Grade-II-listed buildings and stunning set pieces of civic architecture. Each building tells a fascinating tale, and RIBA Tours tell their stories with tours throughout the year that give an unrivalled view of Liverpool’s rich history.
0151 707 0729architecture.com/RIBA£7.50 person or £5 for concessions.
CITY TUK TUKS
City Tuk Tuks use electric six-seat auto rickshaws to give people 40-minute tours of the Albert Dock and city centre. Fully customised, they’re a fun way to see the city at work, rest and play. City Tuk Tuks can also boast Priscilla, a karaoke tuk-tuk decked out with disco lights, speakers, and a choice of over 1,000 songs.
City Tuk Tuks07578 905559citytuktuks.co.uk
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
There’s no shortage of tours when it comes to the Fab Four, but the Magical Mystery Tour is easily one of the most comprehensive. The two-hour tour takes you to key Beatles sites including where the group met, lived, went to school, and got inspiration before ending at the world famous Cavern Club.
0151 703 9100cavernclub.org/the-magical-mystery-tour£16.95 per person. Group ticket for 10 also available.
THE MERSEY TUNNEL
TOUR
We have great links with that lot over the water, and the Liverpool Queensway Mersey Tunnel Tour gives an insight into the history of the tunnel itself and the Grade-II-listed Art Deco ventilation systems on George’s Dock. See how the tunnel is operated and maintained, as well as walking beneath the city itself.
0151 330 4504 merseytravel.gov.uk£6 per person
OLD DOCK TOURS
Liverpool’s Old Dock is internationally recognised as the world’s "rst commercially-enclosed wet dock, and was discovered when Liverpool ONE was being developed. Buried in 1826, the Old Dock has been preserved and is now available for the public to view, and is a fascinating reminder of Liverpool’s maritime heritage.
0151 478 4499liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/visit/Free
LIVERPOOL CYCLE TOURS
Want a greener way to discover Liverpool? Liverpool Cycle Tours show the parts of Liverpool that you can’t discover by bus or car. The three-hour tours include your own bike, helmet, and hi-vis jacket, and are taken at a leisurely pace. Try the South Coast Evening Tour along the stunning promenade.
07986 139 531liverpoolcycletours.comFrom £15pp. Child Ticket: £10
TOUR GUIDES
If you want to really get under the skin of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, or simply want to be guided by someone who knows the city inside out, the city’s blue and green badge tours are hard to beat. Experience a huge selection of sport, comedy, architecture, and fab four tours.
0151 374 2374visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/attractions/sightseeing-and-tours£Varies
SEECRET TOURS
Get urban and discover the real Liverpool with the gang at Seecret Tours who want to show you more than Liverpool’s obvious cultural history. Discover Richard Branson’s "rst Virgin store outside of London, the Bombed Out Church, Lambananas, street art, and much more besides on a captivating two-hour walking tour.
07852956054seecrettours.co.ukAdults: £11, Children: £5, concessions available for families, students, and OAPs
THE LIVERPOOL
CATHEDRAL TOWER
One of the most spellbinding views of Liverpool can be found atop the Liverpool Cathedral Tower. The Twilight Tower experience is open on Thursday nights until October, and is the perfect way to watch the sun set over the city skyline. Tours are also available, allowing you to soak in the views inside too: equally mesmerizing.
0151 709 6271liverpoolcathedral.org.ukStandard: £5.50, Concessions £4.50
MERSEY FERRY TOUR
When Sergeant Pepper artist Sir Peter Blake is let loose on the MV Snowdrop, and given free reign to dazzle, this is what you get. A psychedelic ferry ‘cross the Mersey. ‘Everybody Razzle Dazzle’ - a Liverpool Biennial commission for the WWI centenary - promises to brighten your day, whatever the weather. As well as being a stirring piece of art, visitors who board can learn more about the history of dazzle and the role that the Mersey Ferries took in the First World War.
Tours daily. Adults £10, children £6.50 (includes entry into the U Boat Story exhibition)merseyferries.co.uk
29
Hit the DecksIf, like us, your summer is just one long succession of boat parties and captain’s table invites, you’ll be needing to get your wardrobe ship shape. And, quite possibly, you might need to lay off the sherry.
Makeup by Zara Rowe at Nars, Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols. Sheer Glow Foundation / Radiant Creamy Concealer / Light Reflecting Translucent
Setting Powder / Bronzer in ‘Laguna’ / Lip Liner in ‘Jungle Red’ / Audacious Lipstick in ‘Lana’ / Gel Liner in ‘Black Valley’. Nails by Fiona Lewis at Nails inc. Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols / Nail Kale Superfood Basecoat / Nail Kale in ‘Montpelier Walk’ / Caviar Topcoat. Hair by Phill Gallagher at Electric Hair
Lounge, Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols / Prepped with Electric Volume Liquid Mist / Set with Electric e.Spray. Finished with Electric Serum. Photographer:
Sane Seven / Model: Bronte @ Boss Model Management / Location: Kathleen&May – Albert Dock www.kathleenandmay.co.uk
The formula for nautical style is simple. Pair a Breton stripe with navy and white et voila, South of France yachting style is yours for the taking. Classic, tailored cuts will anchor any marine manoeuvre. This is sharp dressing that can be kept casual or dressed up at its best.
Left: Top, Miss Selfridge - £16 / Trousers, H
obbs - £85 / Shoes, Dune - £32 / A
ll available at Liverpool ON
EO
pposite: Top, Miss Selfridge - £16 / Trousers, H
obbs - £85 / Shoes, Dune - £32 / A
ll available at Liverpool ON
E
A striped crop top (Miss Selfridge, £16) teamed with high waisted trousers (Hobbs, £85) is the perfect o"ce to evening event look. Drape a blazer over your shoulders for a look that screams sophisticated ‘I just parked my yacht on the Mersey’ cool. Don’t be afraid of the stripe.
Accessorise with reds (shoes, Dune £32) and blues (shoes, Dune £65) giving any outfit an instant pop of colour and pulling the look together in what can be an otherwise muted palette. Wear a simple navy dress (Reiss £179) for an easy night time approach to the trend.
complexion. Use NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (£31) for a flawless finish and gently dust bronzer (NARS bronzing powder in Laguna, £35) along the cheekbones for a sun kissed glow. For hair, cascading Hollywood waves will crown the look (set with Electric E.Spray) and ensure you’ll be sailing the high seas with optimum style. Et c’est fini!
Classic, tailored cuts will definitely anchor any marine manoeuvre. Keep the palate to navy and white and experiment by giving a pop of colour with a pair of shorts (Ted Baker, £89). This is sharp dressing that can be kept casual or dressed up at its best.
Nautical style has something unashamedly glamourous about it, perhaps because it harks back to an era when the seas ruled the realms. But it’s not just clothing where you can reflect those glorious seafaring times. Let your makeup echo this with a strong red lip (NARS Audacious Lipstick in ‘Lana’ £24) which will perfectly compliment a dewy, lightly bronzed
Opposite: D
ress, Reiss - £179 / B
ag, Reiss - £115 / Shoes, D
une - £65 / All available at Liverpool O
NE
Left: Jacket, Hobbs – £159 / Top, C
oast - £40 / Shorts, Ted Baker - £89 / Shoes, D
une - £32 / All available at Liverpool O
NE
32
MAN OVERBOARD
T-shirt £6 Floral Chino Shorts £20, Next
Blue Harbour Shoes, Marks and Spencer, £19.10
Chino Shorts, Superdry, Paradise Street, £44.50
Nordstrom Top, Top Man, Church Street, £24
Oxford Shorts, Gap, South John Street, £29.95
Spiral Birds Backpack, John Lewis, Paradise Street £24.95
33
With 17 Grade II listed buildings, handsome and impressive Castle Street sits at the heart of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guide, Liverpool historian Ken Pye.
There’s a clue in the name. This ruler-straight processional avenue once lead right up to the drawbridge of Liverpool’s utterly formidable castle: an impressive four-turreted a!air that once rose from the banks of the river, and guarded the inland ‘pool’ from which the city’s earliest ships "rst set sail into the Mersey and on to the New World.
Now it’s one of the city’s most elegant and impressive thoroughfares, lined with the marbled-facades of lofty banking halls and ornately carved doors leading to once-mighty enterprises. Now home to a vibrant selection of independent bistros and shops, "lled with workers. Such is the way of things. At the head of the street but not exactly in the same location were successive town halls, the present one completed in l797, and now scrubbed up beautifully following a recent sandblasting. There have been others here, dating back to the 14th century. Why does Castle Street remain one of Liverpool’s most complete streets?
It’s probably one of Liverpool’s most ‘complete’ streets - but only, of course, from the mid to late 19th century. It’s been widened a number of times in its history so there are no remnants of anything before that period; at least above ground. Below ground it’s a di!erent story. There are plenty of cellars, tunnels, and passages that may be hundreds of years old. And it was the site of some of the city’s earliest markets, wasn’t it?
Yes, in fact the Sanctuary Stone, set into the road outside the NatWest Bank, marks one of the boundaries of the twice-
EXPLORING
Street Life: Castle Street
yearly annual fair and market. Trading inside the stone gave you protection from arrest. The other stone was at the end of Stanley Street on Dale Street, but there are no records as to when this disappeared. It was probably the last of Liverpool’s original seven streets to be laid out, as an access way to the Castle. Records are actually unclear as to when the castle was built, but the consensus is that it was around 1235. Do you think the street represents Liverpool’s heyday as a mercantile city?
Absolutely, yes. It, together with Dale Street, is a real demonstration of Liverpool’s pre-eminent role in international and national commerce, and it’s a bold statement too, of the high regard that the town (soon to be City) had of its own status and prestige.
34
The 19th century city fathers and leading merchants regarded Liverpool as a ‘New Rome’. That con"dence is borne out in the street’s fantastic skyline.
What should visitors not miss on a walk down it?
The Sanctuary Stone, the delightful Queens Arcade is a remnant from the days when there were courts and alleyways running o! the street - strips of land allocated to freemen, used for sheds, workshops and later, houses. Maritime Mosaic Frieze at the far right end (looking towards the Town Hall); Costa Co!ee, in the former Adelphi Bank, especially its deeply engraved bronze doors. The Adelphi Bank building, a branch of the Liverpool Banking Company has a distinctive green onion dome on the corner to
Brunswick Street and a variety fanciful turrets, cherubs and statues. ‘Adelphi’ is Greek for ‘brothers’, and the subjects of the "gure work and adjacent statuettes are on the theme of brotherhood. The former Bank of England, opposite it, was the largest Bank of England branch outside London. Do you think the street is enjoying a renaissance?
Yes indeed; both commercially, as it is beginning to attract new investment, but also as a focal point for tourists coming to explore the heart of the city. It’s a great place to get a feel of a city where old and new rub along together brilliantly.
Find out more:liverpoolworldheritage.com/visitingthewhs/areas/castlestreet/
“IT’S A GREAT PLACE TO GET
A FEEL OF A CITY WHERE
OLD AND NEW RUB ALONG TOGETHER
BRILLIANTLY”
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
DrinkJenny’s Bar
(Old Ropery, Fenwick Street)
EatSalt House Bacaro(47 Castle Street)
Stay62 Castle Street Hotel
(62 Castle Street)
ShopTurmeau’s, the UK’s second
oldest tobaconnist, for whisky and cigars
(34 Fenwick Street)
TourTake a tour from Ken Pye, at
discover-liverpool.com
35
The one-night arts and culture festival sees our public spaces, museums, and galleries staying open ‘til late with festivals, events, and more happening throughout the city.
A decade after the greatest match in their history, the fabled Liverpool FC squad will reunite to celebrate - and give the ultimate match commentary from those at the heart of the ‘miracle of Istanbul’ for one night only. Your host - Jamie Carragher.
Cunard’s most famous ships – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria – will meet on the Mersey for the "rst time to celebrate Cunard’s 175th anniversary, there’ll be a bit of a party, we can assure you...
Added to this year’s family-focussed festival is the Northern Boat Show to complement Music on the Waterfront, Tall Ships, the Dutch Barge Rally, and other nautically-themed activities.
This year’s festival is themed Shaping Change: A work in progress, showing how Arab communities are responding to contemporary changes, with music, art, dance, and much more.
After his sell-out UK tour, the US (but UK-living) comic essayist Sedaris brings his unique take on the world to our city for one night only. Expect readings from his million-selling books, and the sort of observations about life that others wouldn’t dare air in public...
LIVERPOOL LIGHTNIGHT
ISTANBUL REUNION NIGHT
THREE qUEENS LIVERPOOL 2015
INTERNATIONAL MERSEY RIVER FESTIVAL 2015
LIVERPOOL ARABIC ARTS FESTIVAL
DAVID SEDARIS
15 MAY 2015, CITY CENTRE
25 MAY, ECHO ARENA
23!25 MAY 2015, CITY CENTRE 5!7 JUNE 2015, ALBERT DOCK
6!14 JUNE 2015, THE BLUECOAT
13 JUNE 2015, ECHO AUDITORIUM
ShowtimeHIGHLIGHTS
36
Get a glimpse of some true tennis legends as well as the next generation with the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, Europe’s longest-running and largest tennis exhibition.
The largest free African music event in the UK returns to Sefton Park for a celebration of music, food, and vibrant culture. Con"rmed acts for the two-day festival include the brilliant Omar Lye-Fook, BKO Quintet, and Lindigo.
Take a look at more than 1,000 pieces of contemporary art from established artists, with work appearing from more than 40 galleries across the globe.
Miller’s extraordinary tale of dockland corruption was originally suppressed by the FBI in the ‘50s for fear of unrest in New York. It remains a powerful evocation of a singular time in US history.
The UK’s biggest ever 4th of July celebrations - so big it "lls the entire weekend. Expect a vintage car cavalcade (Sun 5), an attempt at the world’s biggest catwalk show, lots of US-#avoured music, food and vintage fun for all the family. Free.
Forget Skiathos, the Scouse feel good musical, shot through with disco classics and glitter, returns for a summer season.
Liverpool ONE’s piano festival, in partnership with Open Culture, sees street pianists taking the stool and soundtracking your shopping trip with everything from Barry Manilow to Mozart.
To celebrate its 175th season, Liverpool’s on-"re Philharmonic has a cracking programme in store. Try Vasily Petrenko conducting Dream of Gerontius (13 June), Elvis Costello’s return (15 June), or the blissful Summer Pops, which starts on 2 July with White Nights, spellbinding Russian classics, and ends with Jerusalem, Pomp and Circumstance, and crowd-friendly tunes from Downton Abbey and more.
LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT
AFRICA OYé 2015
LIVERPOOL CONTEMPORARY ARTS FAIR
ARTHUR MILLER’S THE HOOK
TRANSATLANTIC 175
MAM, I’M ‘ERE
TICKLE THE IVORIES
PHILHARMONIC 175
5!7 JUNE 2015, ALBERT DOCK
18!21 JUNE 2015, HOPE UNIVERSITY
20!21 JUNE 2015, SEFTON PARK
26!28 JUNE 2015, ROYAL LIVER BUILDING
1!25 JULY 2015, THE EVERYMAN
4!5 JULY 2015, WATERFRONT
26 JUNE ! 1 AUG, ROYAL COURT
1 JULY ! 6 SEPTEMBER, LIVERPOOL ONE
FROM JUNE 2015, LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL
Want to know your Navy strength from your small batch botanicals? This delicious celebration of the juniper drink is for you.
Tri Liverpool takes place in the docks with entrants swimming in the Queens and Wapping Docks before cycling past the Liver Buildings and running through the "nish line (exhausted).
Pride lets Liverpool’s LGBT community take over the city at the weekend, celebrating the very best of the city’s populace with musical performances, events, and more.
A brand new festival, Liverpool Loves sets out to celebrate why we love our city, and the many creative and wonderful things there is to fall in love with here, with pro"ts raised going toward new, small businesses.
GIN FESTIVAL LIVERPOOL
TRI LIVERPOOL
LIVERPOOL PRIDE
LIVERPOOL LOVES
25 JULY 2015, METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL
26 JULY 2015, ECHO ARENA
AUGUST 2015, PIER HEAD
AUGUST 2015, PIER HEAD
New to Brazilica for 2015 is an extended outdoor "lm festival throughout the city alongside the event’s amazing mix of dance, music, exhibitions, and more.
BRAzILICA17!19 JULY 2015, CITY CENTRE
FOR FULL DETAILS OF ALL THESE EVENTS, PLUS HUNDREDS MORE, HEAD TO WWW.VISITLIVERPOOL.COM
AND START PLANNING YOUR NEXT VISIT
37
The city’s biggest music festival is planning its biggest hootenanny ever – as Sound City transforms a new dockland site into the biggest urban wonderland Liverpool’s ever witnessed.
Liverpool’s essential urban music festival is on the move: this year, Sound City takes over the city’s Bramley Moore dock. Director, Dave Pichilingi (above) promises an urban playground of pop-ups, theatrical spaces, sound stages and surprises, basing his model on Spain’s thrilling city’s edge festivals such as Primavera and Sonar.
“I’m bored with the traditional city centre black box venues,” he says. “The customer experience is woeful. Tepid lager, poor sound, no wonder they’re dying on their feet.”
This year, expect something altogether more magical in our midst. Ably abetted by headliners The Flaming Lips and Belle and Sebastian, with homegrown talent such as All We Are, Evian Christ and Stealing Sheep.
“We’ll give people the best art and music from around the world, and a spectacle to end each day,” Pichilingi promises. “We’re really going to have some fun with this one. The calibre of acts we’re able to get, now, is a real testament to how seriously the festival is being taken. I’m a massive Belle and Sebastian fan, and their new album is real return to form. I can’t wait to see what they bring to the city…”
What Sound City also brings to the city is a tightly curated programme of must-attend seminars, keynotes and workshops: this is a festival that aims to move head, heart and feet.
“Everything we do is about capturing that creative spirit of Liverpool, and spinning it out into new and exciting territories.
Attention All Shipping
“I’M BORED WITH
TRADITIONAL CITY CENTRE
BLACK BOx VENUES. THE
CUSTOMER ExPERIENCE IS
WOEFUL. TEPID LAGER, POOR
SOUND...”
Art, digital, theatre - these are all every bit as important to us as championing new bands,” Pichilingi attests. “Sometimes the conference events tend to get lost in the mix, which is a real shame, because for me, they’ve often provided the festival’s stand out moments.”
By corralling the events into one ring fenced arena, Pichilingi hopes that we’ll all be tempted to dive in and enjoy a more rounded, access-all-areas experience: perhaps to hear the mighty Edwyn Collins explore his long and in#uential career including how his life and music changed following a cerebral haemorrhage in 2005.
Liverpool Sound City22-24 Mayliverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
SHOWTIME
38
ITSLIVERPOOL.COM!APP
The It’s Liverpool app is your best route into the heart of the city (that and this magazine,
of course). Stuffed with recommendations, itineraries
and unique videos, it taps into the real Liverpool. Here’s a circular route you can try.
Allow four hours.
Begin your tour at the Three Graces - the Liver Buildings
(1908), Cunard Building (1917) and Port of Liverpool Building
(1907). Winding its way through the Pier Head is the new
extension to the Leeds Liverpool Canal (2008). Follow its course
downriver to the Museum of Liverpool, over the footbridge to
the Billy Fury statue, and on to the Albert Dock (1846).
CIRCLING THE CITY
From here, head inland via Canning Place (where the old
‘Lyver Pool’ tributary wound its way inland) and walk past the
splashing fountains of Thomas Steers Way and through Liverpool ONE, cross Hanover Street, until you reach the Ropewalks area of the city (named after the ships’
rope makers who plied their trade here).
Head up Bold Street until you’re about halfway up - on the left
look out for Heath"eld Street and Bretta and Co - your "rst co!ee
stop.
Head up Hardman Street until you get to Hope Street, and
you’ve a Cathedral at either end: Tackle the enormous Anglican (St James Mount) to your right,
"rst. Take lunch in their excellent Refectory. Then retrace your
steps to the street’s other end, and the impressive piazza stairway that leads to the Metropolitan
Cathedral (Mount Pleasant). Both free (donations welcome).
Dive back into town (via Mount Pleasant) and navigate
a course to William Brown Street (via Lime Street
Station) for the city’s splendid Walker Art Gallery and World
Museum (free).
From here, wind your way down Dale Street until you get to the
Town Hall (1797), and take a left at Castle Street for afternoon
snacks at Salt House Bacara before crossing Derby Square.
Here you’ll "nd an award winning "ve-acre park with a range of world-spanning menus and cocktails at Liverpool ONE.
From here, double back on the beginning of your tour (past
those splashing fountains again), cross the Strand and arrive at the white wedge-shaped Museum of Liverpool (free) before arriving
back at Pier Head and the great fun 4D Beatles Story exhibition.
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FAMILY
Liverpool loves kids, so there’s no need to get stuck for ideas of what to do with the bin lids of your clan. From activity centres and museums to skateparks, wildlife and even outer space, there’s plenty to whittle away their energy reserves while you rest your weary legs awhile.
Just Add Kids
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ACTIVE ADVENTURES
The two-acre site in Aigburth can boast a 52-element high ropes course, dual zip lines, a climbing/abseiling wall, a maze, "tness classes and more. They also host regular school groups. Minimum age for high ropes, abseil and the powerfan is 10 but younger kids are well catered for elsewhere in the centre. Call for opening times.
37 Otterspool Drive, Liverpool L17 5AL0151 494 3044theotters.co.uk
JUNGLE PARC
Situated on the Croxteth Hall estate (itself a lovely place for a visit) is the adventure-based park that has a series of courses that can suit all ages, even the nippers of 4, plus 10 and over and adults. The country park has a picnic area which is also suitable for dogs with well behaved owners. Suitable clothing is obviously advised as the centre is open whatever the weather. Call for opening hours.
Croxteth Park, Liverpool L12 0HB0844 879 4378jungleparc.co.uk
JUNGLE RUMBLE
Tackle one of two "endish and fun crazy adventure golf courses in this unique attraction, half-way up the zigzag steps leading to the ODEON cinema. Great for ‘if wet’ days, and for all wannabe-Rory McIlroys, the attraction o!ers a great way for the family to battle it out, amid lush tropical vegetation and erupting volcanos: not something you’d have bargained for on a Liverpool day out, perhaps.
Jungle RumbleParadise Street, Liverpool ONE0151 232 2355 junglerumble.co.uk
KNOWSLEY SAFARI PARK
Watch out for your windscreen wipers – there’s baboons about. The famous drive through the park is a treasure trove of wildlife. Speci"cally for kids, there’s a Zoo School with three programmes: Intrepid Explorers (ages 8-11); Junior Rangers (12-14); Safari Academy (15-18.) All cover environmental issues plus the ins and outs of the park. 10am-5.30pm, last entry 4pm.
Knowsley Hall, Prescot L34 4AN0151 430 9009knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk
MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL
The impressive building shows that there’s a treat in store even before you get in; amongst the collections telling the story of the city, there’s also the fab Little Liverpool, which is a hands-on world for those under six years old to play and learn in. Look out also for mascot Winnie The Spider in the main galleries for additional kid-friendly exhibits and activities. Free entry. 10am-5pm daily.
Pierhead, Liverpool Waterfront L3 1DG0151 478 4545liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol
RAMPWORX SKATEPARK
A dizzying mix of BMXers, boarders, skaters and scooters whizz past in all directions at this excellent facility. Note that it is compulsory to become a member before visiting, although that’s free and can be done online. Minimum age is 5 and you’ll have to bring your own equipment. Aggressive skaters and scooter riders plus under-16s must wear helmets at all times. Term time: 4pm-10pm Tuesday-Friday; 10.30am-7pm weekends.Holidays: 10am-10pm Monday-Friday; 1.30am-7pm weekends.
1-3 Leckwith Road, Bootle L30 6UR0151 530 1500rampworx.com
SPACEPORT
Cross the water and experience life beyond the stars at this unique and frankly awesome audio/visual and interactive space place (main image). The Planetarium is impressive in itself but the Interactive Zone is a brilliant way to get hands-on testing gravity, magnets, optical illusions and more. Look out for special events, particularly on public holidays. 10am-3pm Monday to Friday; 10am-5pm weekends, school holidays and bank holidays.
Victoria Place, Wallasey CH44 6QY0151 330 1444spaceport.org.uk
RICE LANE CITY FARM
Meanwhile, in Walton there’s 24 acres of countryside surrounded by the city. The city farm has a stable block, a pig pen, a barn, a free range poultry unit and a petting area where the young ‘uns can meet some of the cuter residents. The community-led farm also runs various youth development schemes and special events. Entrance by donation. 10am-3.30pm daily.
Rawcli"e Road, Liverpool L9 1AW0151 530 1066ricelanecityfarm.org.uk
UNDERWATER STREET
There’s so much to do that the only di$culty will be tearing the mites away from the place. There’s a bunch of interactive zones including the art area, construction area, imagination village, physical zone, sensory area and The Lab. Parties are regularly held there, too. 10am-4pm, Tuesday-Friday; 10am-5pm Weekends. Closed Mondays in term time, but open during school holidays and on bank holidays.
Water Street, Pier Head, Liverpool L3 1DS0151 227 2550underwaterstreet.com
PARK LIFELiverpool’s one of the UK’s greenest cities, with more then enough space to run o! all that excess energy.
Transforming into The Harbour, Chavasse Park at the heart
of Liverpool ONE will once again be the backdrop for
relaxing family fun-filled days this Summer. O!ering a range
of attractions, picnic boats on the grass and maritime themed kids workshops in
the Dome. Two miles south of the centre, Sefton Park is a
huge, beautifully designed park featuring a boating lake (hire pedaloes at the weekend), a
steamy palm house and plenty of space to stretch out in.
Elsewhere, Calderstones Park, in south Liverpool features a children’s playground and, at Calderstones Mansion, The Reader Organisation
(thereader.org.uk), a charity championing the joy of reading,
holds lots of child-friendly events throughout the summer.
For budding botanists, a trip to the National Wildflower
Centre in Knowsley (nwc.org.uk) is a must, especially for its Scarecrow Festival (4-5 July).
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THE INSIDER
Hunt down Liverpool’s specialist exhibition spaces to unearth everything from striking contemporary art to ancient Egyptian sarcophagi. All in a day’s sightseeing in Liverpool.
For Your Eyes Only
FACT
The UK’s leading champion of that place where art and digital shenanigans clash head on, FACT is always good for an eye-popping dose of future shock. Right now, Build Your Own explores the con-nections between 3D printers, the Internet of Things and us: where will this all lead? Get stuck-in, hands-on experience of these cutting edge, ever-so-slightly unsettling new industries.
Wood Streetfact.co.uk
OPEN EYE
The North West’s home to photography - both then and now. Open Eye’s two galleries showcase the relentlessly inven-tive and ruthlessly honest work of the documentary photographer. For this summer’s show, six artists take social portraiture to un#inching, and captivating new dimensions. It’s part of LOOK 15, the city-wide photography festival which runs til the end of May (more details here http://lookphotofestival.com)
Mann Islandopeneye.org
Top: Billy MacRae’s G20, showing as part of Open 1 at Open Eye Gallery this summer
DOT!ART
More than 100 Liverpool-based artists working in a mind-boggling variety of media are on the books of dot-art, which functions both as an art gallery and a consultancy/sourcing organisation promoting the best working Liverpool artists. Give them a call, and they’ll open up their gallery for you to have a mooch.
16 Queen Avenue, Castle Streetdot-art.co.uk12pm-6pm Monday to Friday, plus by appointment
THE GARSTANG MUSEUM
Only open Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm, so time it well, but you’ll be rewarded with some awe-some antiquities from Egypt, Su-dan, Jericho, the Aegean, Anatolia and UK. Regularly lends ancient items to major exhibitions at the big world galleries.
University of Liverpool, 14 Abercromby SquareWednesdays, 10am-4pm
THE HARDMANS’ HOUSE
The photographic studio and home of Edward Chambré Hard-man and his wife Margaret show-cases the innovative snapper’s work, from glamour in the studio to his candid street photography of Liverpool. It’s a real insight into a creative force with a 1950s tint.
59 Rodney Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9ERnationaltrust.org.uk/hardmans-houseCheck website for opening times
THE NORDIC CHURCH
Worth the trip for the building alone - one of only two octagonal ‘stave’ churches in Britain, but step inside and get your Nordic "x: with exhibi-tions, crafts, gigs, language classes, Scandi-"lm nights and more. You can even stay there overnight. Skol!
138 Park Ln, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 8HGnordicliverpool.co.uk
THE ROYAL STANDARD
It’s all about the artists at Royal Standard, which was set up in 2006 in Toxteth before moving out to its current location. Expect new names alongside established visiting art-heads both in the gallery and the on-site workspace.
Unit 3, Vauxhall Business Centre, 131 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool L3 6BN the-royal-standard.comCheck for opening hours.
VICTORIA ART GALLERY
AND MUSEUM
Curios gathered from the 120 years of the University rule the roost at the Victoria, including what they bill as ‘the world’s most importand collection of false teeth.’ Also check out early x-rays, fossils, skeletons and the worryingly-titled Nightmares In A Bottle.
Ashton Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3DRvgm.liverpool.ac.uk10am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. 0151 794 2348
VIEW TWO GALLERY
Triple-#oor former banana ware-house with oodles of local art for sale; check out the regular acoustic nights for a rather excellent soundtrack away from the madness of Mathew St. Note that this is not currently wheelchair accessible.
23 Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 6REviewtwogallery.co.uk12pm to 5pm, Friday and Saturday plus by appointment
L-R from top: Dot-Art, Nordic Church, The Royal Standard, The Garstang Museum, Hardman’s House, Victoria Art Gallery and Museum, View Two
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Made in LiverpoolThat we love to shop is sort of self evident. But, not content with bagging a bargain, increasingly, we’ve set our hearts on stacking the shelves too. And we’re not talking Saturday jobs. We’re talking magical, made-right-here souvenirs. The sort of stuff that shows the world just how clever and crafty we are.
“Made-here is kind of shop that you are really looking for when you come to one of the most creative cities in the world,” says Kate Stewart, owner of the Met Quarter’s made-in-Liverpool boutique, made-here.
“It’s the perfect place to buy gifts or treats to remember your trip by, safe in the knowledge that what you have bought is unique, beautiful and made with love and talent, and that as an added bonus the money stays in the local economy.”
“We’ve lots of local customers who come in each month to treat themselves to a wonderful piece of art, or a piece of jewellery, and it’s always great to meet visitors to the city who are delighted to be able to "nd a high quality gift or memento of their visit to city that is uniquely Liverpool” says founder Kate Stewart.
Showcasing work by over 40 local artists and designers, made-here o!ers a one-stop con"rmation that Liverpool’s creative and maker-community is in robust health - can hold its own alongside the Met Quarter’s high-end brands.
“Some of our most popular items are our handmade jewellery range and Liverpool tea towels, mugs and coasters, as well as a really wide range of prints and photographs.”
And they’re growing too: made-here are about to set up a second branch, at Liverpool’s historic waterfront: in the atrium of the striking Mann Island development, this summer.
made-hereFirst floor, Met Quarter, Whitechapelmade-here.co.uk
SOUVENIRS
MADE-HERE
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Art for Our SakeMuscling in between the big-boy brands of Liverpool ONE is bright new interloper, One Art. The six-week residency sees some of the city’s most in-demand artists create an exhibition of themselves. And, should you wish, you can have the entire thing wrapped and posted to your place.
“We invited a group of 15 artists (including us) to join us in this rather huge and daunting space,” laughs local artist Katherine Caldwell. “Each artist has a unique place in the shop and will also be working in here serving customers too, so it’s a really good chance to learn more about each artists’ creative process,” she says. “We’ll be giving our customers the
chance to meet the artist at sessions throughout the duration of the six week pop-up. You can come and chat with them and even watch them at work. There will be something going every day.”
“It’s a great way for us to showcase some of our most talented artist friends all under one roof in the heart of Liverpool ONE,” Caldwell says. “All artists are local independents who work in a variety of mediums including pastels, paint, print, inks and photography.”
ONE ARTSouth John Street,Liverpool ONE
Quiggins at Grand Central
Liverpool’s alternative, bo-ho-tastic warren of galleries, hippy-hole
boutiques and retro-gaming stalls, Quiggins o!ers an eye-popping
alternative to the everyday. Check out the dazzling mosaic-art and
clothing of the Evil Shop: pop culture with a dark heart, in the
basement (naturally).
Grand Central BuildingRenshaw Street
ONE ART
REX
Dive into the basement of the venerable old department store on Basnett Street, just o! Church Street (once home to legendary Liverpool store, George Henry Lees) and you’re in a day-glo alternative shopping universe of REX. “We have over 70 independent businesses trading in here, from homeware to fashion and from gifts to our newest arrivals; locally produced beers,” says Revolver Retail’s Chelsea Slater.
“Liverpool strives to be di!erent and our customer come to us to "nd products that have a unique story behind them. Having this many local retailers under one roof gives people something completely di!erent to a high street shopping trip in any other city. It provides a true taste of Liverpool,” she says.
Cream of the current fashion crop are local designers Pink Door Boutique, Jacksons Fashion, Alexandra Therese, Little Red Vintage, Ellies Closet and Dissipate.
“We’ve expanded our fashion range and will be launching this with two fashion shows in June, but we’re always looking to "nd more of the city’s best and brightest, and increase the range of items available across all departments,” Chelsea says.
“What we’ve discovered is that the Liverpool style is more than a type of clothing; it’s a state of mind.”
Rex Concept StoreLower Ground Floor, Rapid, 20-48 Basnett Streetrexshop.co.uk
ALSO TRY
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MY STORY
Currying FavourWith her fresh take on Indian street foods, Liverpool’s curry evangelist Nisha Katona has rekindled the city’s love affair with the subcontinent’s cuisine. But her journey to Bold Street has been as circuitous and colourful as the Spice Route. She shares her story…
“It’s surpassed my wildest hopes to see Mowgli become the food-focussed, straight talking eatery that I crafted her to be. She was never meant to give you a boutique and burnished thrill. I wanted to give people the intensity, simplicity and brisk love of an Indian home kitchen.
I wanted to feed you quickly, cleanly and economically at lunchtime and teatime, and to show you how Indians eat in their homes day in and day out, across the year. It’s a heartening testimony to the broad mindedness and brave palates of the Liverpool audience that they took a punt on us. It is only due to this vote of con!dence that we are looking at a site in Manchester to launch in Autumn this year.
My parents, Indian Hindu doctors, came over to Ormskirk, where I was born, in 1968 and moved into an incredibly deprived area. They told me how they had to travel to Manchester to buy ginger, how onions were sold by the half in a bag of barley (for soup), and turmeric was peddled in pharmacies like some yellow narcotic.
Some of my earliest memories are of being !re bombed, bricks landing through nursery windows and dodging the stones on the way to school. Food became our strongest force for race relations. Korma became the Ko! Annan of Skem. It is in the nature of Indians to feed, to show hospitality. We want you to like us.
My need to feed is no di"erent to my parents; it runs deep. I recall a de!ning incident, as a child. I was invited to play a friends house and my mother was asked to collect me just before lunch was served. This cut my mother. How could one not want to feed a guest, even more so a child? This is how we Indians show love.
It is a fact little known that, most of the Indians who could a"ord a ticket to come to live in the west, could a"ord chefs at home. Hence, many !rst generation immigrants could not cook. Those that could
were more interested in turning their children to the professions than teaching them the culinary ropes.
I remember clearly the night that my mother, for the 100th time, dictated a curry recipe over the phone. Suddenly, I saw a clear curry formula. It was a real eureka moment. And it was as simple as this - all curry has just three spices, only one of which changes depending on what you are cooking.
I honestly feel that many Indian chefs and writers, through design or sloth, complicate curry making; Its almost as if they want to maintain it as some mystical dark art. This winds me up no end. Look, in India, kids start cooking before they can hold a pen.
Go into any Indian home and ask for a Chicken Tikka Masala and they won’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Balti translates as bucket. Chicken Pasanda translates as “Chicken I Like”. What you eat in Indian restaurants is not authentic Indian food.
These dishes were formulated for an English palate- they do not exist in India. This keeps me awake at night. It does so, because real Indian Street Food utterly rocks and still it seems Indians are too afraid to serve it to the English for fear that they may not get it.
Mowgli Street Food is built around the idea of Chat - which
means ‘to lick’. It’s almost Indian tapas. Small plates of explosive, virtuosic #avours. I’m not talking about chili heat but about the sweet tang of tamarind, the zing of coriander, the gru" citrus wake up call of roasted cumin, the deeply savoury crunch of Indian bread bombs. Cool, edgy, twisted, uber-sensory Indian street food is what Mowgli is about.
The yoghurt chat bombs are so popular they now have their own Twitter following. This was one of our biggest risks, the antithesis of the primordial curry house hit. And yet people get it. Liverpool is ready, it seems, for authenticity.
But the Ti$n tins are our biggest sellers and this is utterly exhilarating. The heart of the ti$n experience is not knowing what you’re getting but trusting your chef. I love the fact that the city trusts us; says: “feed me hand crafted, healthy, reasonable priced food and we will keep coming back; start getting heavy, cocky or costly and we will take our hard earned appetites and cash elsewhere”. I am aware of this daily, and for the way that Mowgli is being hammered like my mum’s Skem kitchen, I am grateful every day.”
Mowgli Street Food69 Bold Streetmowglistreetfood.com
It’s Only NaturalFor a touch of Scandi chic this summer, add warm woods, glowing copper and natural fabrics. Don’t add chunky Fair Isle knit sweaters. You know what you’re like when you get overheated.
INTERIORS
1. Framed print, Next, Church Street, £70
2. Bamboo set, BHS, Lord Street £19
3. Conran Sideboard, Marks and Spencer, Church Street
4. Oscar dog – Utility, Liverpool ONE, £75
5. Mosaic Mirror, Shared Earth, Bold Street, £40
6. Tom Dixon Etch Pendant, John Lewis, Liverpool ONE £340
7. Interlocking Tea Light, Next, Church Street £12
8. Hay Lup Candleholder – Utility, Liverpool ONE £23.50
9. Lustre table lamp, Next, Church Street £25
10. Ben Di Lisi candle holder, Debenhams, Liverpool ONE £25
11. Butterfly Vase, Matthew Williamson, Debenhams,
Liverpool ONE £30
12. Dominoes cushion, John Lewis, Liverpool ONE £20
13. Sun Kissed cushion, Marks and Spencer, Church Street £25
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THE WAY I SEE IT
Final FrameBeautiful, surprising, yet strangely familiar. The city according to Liverpool street photographer Jane MacNeil is a refreshingly un-Photoshopped place.
What do we look like? Well, that really depends on how closely you examine us. Want to get under our skin? Like the very best street photography, MacNeil’s forensic exploration reveals more about us than any posed snapshot could. A city at work, rest, play and, occasionally, upside down with our head in a bucket…
Why does this form of photography grab you?
It’s the most challenging. I can leave the house with no agenda, having no idea what images I’m going to come home with. Your state of mind dictates the kind of images you "nd. It takes a while to warm up when you "rst hit the streets but when you get in the #ow and lose self-consciousness that’s when the magic starts to happen.
Is this the most honest way to capture a place?
I think so, they’re observed, unbruised moment. On most occasions when I’m out shooting I
don’t talk to anybody or have any interaction with people. Though it’s "ltered too. There’s certain things I won’t photograph so maybe it’s not that honest.
Are we a city of great shots waiting to be captured?
Yes, de"nitely. The more I walk the streets, they luckier I get.
Any scary moments?
I photographed a man holding a seagull under his arm once. That was a bit unnerving.
Most fertile locations?
Anywhere in the city centre. I’ve been chasing the light around the city recently and tried to play with that. I’ve seen sunsets on Hanover Street that mimic the Manhattenhenge phenomenon that New York has. It’s really beautiful.
See more of Jane’s work at streetsofliverpool.com
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J O I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N @ E C H O A R E N A
E V E N T H I G H L I G H T SE C H O A R E N A . C O M | 0 8 4 4 8 0 0 0 4 0 0
Reeves & Mortimer14 & 15 November
Andre Rieu19 December
Liverpool Football Club Players’ AwardsFor the first time fans are invited to this star-studded evening celebrating the current season 19 May
The Istanbul Reunion Night25 May
One Night in IstanbulRelive the night Liverpool won their 5th European Cup with Nicky Allt’s hilarious stage show27 May
Paul McCartney28 May
Maroon 5These American boys are flying high at the moment with the release of their new album ‘V’ and single ‘Sugar’ high in the charts29 May
5 Seconds of SummerThese boys spent last summer playing stadiums around the UK & Europe with One Direction10 June
Hello Kitty Live See Hello Kitty live, like you’ve never seen her before as she welcomes audiences into her world19 October
Joe Bonamassa The internationally renowned guitarist will perform songs from his classic albums including Sloe Gin and Different Shades of Blue23 October
Jimmy Carr 24 & 25 October
Tim Vine When it comes to straight-forward, no-nonsense word play and joke telling, Tim Vine has established himself as one of Britain’s best30 October
IFBB Amateur OlympiaThis amateur bodybuilding event will see competitors come from all over the world31 October - 1 November
Harry Enfield & Paul Whitehouse Relive characters including; Loadsamoney, Smashie and Nicey, Kevin the Teenager and many more6 November
WWE8 November
An evening with David SedarisThe Guardian recognise him to be ‘One of the finest comic talents currently living on the planet’13 June
Radio City Summer Live18 July
British Gymnastics Championship Series4 days of non-stop gymnastics will come to Echo Arena this summer with athletes showcasing their skills across 4 events30 July - 2 August
British Natural Bodybuilding13 September
Brian WilsonMost recognised for being the founding member of The Beach Boys, this legend will start his UK tour here this September18 September
David Gest’s (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life TourIncluding Bill Medley, Sheila Ferguson, Deniece Williams and more26 September 5pm & 9pm
25 Years of Reeves & MortimerCome and see some of their best-loved characters and sketches from their 25-year career14 & 15 November
NickelbackThe multi-platinum selling rock band are coming back to Liverpool19 November
Mrs Brown’s BoysThe outrageous TV show comes back to the stage for wild laughs24-28 November
Pam Ann Australian comedian Caroline Reid is coming to The Auditorium as ‘Pam Ann International Air Hostess’ with a brand new show27 November
Showaddywaddy This Leicester band are bringing their hits such as ‘Hey Rock & Roll’, ‘Three Steps to Heaven’ and ‘Under The Moon of Love’ 28 November
Status Quo 1 December
Michael McIntyreFresh from the biggest selling comedy tour in the world in 2012 this funny man returns4 & 5 December
Simply RedWith a career that spans 3 decades in music, Simply Red will be performing some of their biggest hits11 December
Andre RieuThe world’s most renowned violinist will return with Johann Straus Orchestra for a fantastic new show19 December
DynamoFans will have the opportunity to see his spectacular magic skills up close on the banks of the Mersey2-6 March 2016
Ed Byrne During his 20 years in comedy this Irish comedian has enjoyed huge popular and critical success12 March 2016
Sarah Millican Fans will be flocking to see one of Britain’s most successful and multi-award winning comedians in our intimate venue27-28 August 2016
