FIVE THINGS YOU MUST DO IN THE CITY
Ferry ’cross the Mersey, bone up on the Beatles or spot a Superlambanana
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND— This city’s independent scene is booming, but that doesn’t mean you should give its most famous attractions a miss. Once you’ve checked out the city’s lesser-known side, squeeze one of these activities into your itinerary.
Take a ferry across the Mersey
No visit to Liverpool would be complete without this 50-minute cruise. There are regular departures throughout the day. This year, one of the vessels plying this route is the U.K.’s only remaining Dazzle Ferry. The Liverpool Biennial commissioned pop-artist Sir Peter Blake to adorn one of the ships with dazzle camouflage, a colourful, abstract pattern used during the First World War. The design was intended to confuse radar systems and make it harder for the enemy to work out the dazzled ship’s direction and speed. Details: merseyferries.co.uk
Learn about Britain’s biggest band at the Beatles Story
Liverpool is where the Beatles grew up and played their first gigs, and the Beatles Story is the world’s largest permanent exhibit dedicated to the Fab Four. You’ll discover how the band met and will be able to snap a selfie in replicas of key locations, including the Abbey Road Studios. The fantastic audio guide is narrated by John Lennon’s sister, Julia. There are also regular one-off exhibitions, with one of the most recent being a display of intimate portraits of George Harrison. Details: beatlesstory.com
Visit Liverpool Football Club’s stadium and museum
Liverpool Football Club is one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, and its recent stadium expansion (completed in September) transformed their home ground of Anfield into Europe’s largest sports arena. The Liverpool FC Story is the club’s museum. Exhibits include soccer boots worn by Luis Suarez and a memorial to the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 soccer fans. Diehard Liverpool supporters can also attend Liverpool Legends question and answer sessions hosted by the club’s former players. Details: liverpoolfc.com
Go Superlambanana spotting
Wander around Liverpool and it won’t be long before you spot the Superlambanana. Taro Chiezo’s sculpture first appeared in a New York gallery and was designed to poke fun at genetic engineering. Liverpool saw it in a different light, as a celebration of the city’s role as a port that exported wool and imported bananas. Thirty of the bananashaped sheep sculptures were placed throughout Liverpool in 1998 as part of an art exhibition. Many were auctioned off, but several can still be spotted throughout the city. Details: superlambanana.eu
Play Bongo’s Bingo at Camp and Furnace
Described by the Liverpool Echo as “the bastard child of traditional bingo and a techno rave,” Bongo’s Bingo is unlike anything you’ve seen before. The prizes are, for the most part, intentionally rubbish (although there are some huge cash prizes up for grabs) and in between rounds, there are dance-offs and DJ sets. Bongo’s Bingo takes place most weeks at the Baltic Triangle’s Camp and Furnace, a warehouse-like space that houses a bar and restaurant. Equally legendary are Camp and Furnace’s Sunday roast lunches. Details: campandfurnace.com/events/bongos-bingo
Tamara Hinson’s trip was sponsored by Marketing Liverpool, which didn’t review or approve this story.