Explores Liverpool, cultural hub and star of The Batman
When The Batman director Matt Reeves wanted to use ‘‘an American city you had never been to’’ as the setting for Gotham, he hopped across the Pond… and headed to Liverpool.
The city that delivered us the Beatles and Ferry Cross The Mersey – plus the new Carabao Cup winners in football – has long scored with music and sports fans.
But its grand architecture, stunning waterfront and iconic landmarks have been earning credentials in the film world too.
Now the UK’s most filmed city after London, it’s firmly on the cinematic map thanks to blockbusters like Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Fast And Furious 6, Captain America: The First Avenger and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, which have all used it as a backdrop.
On TV, Peaky Blinders and The
Ipcress File also filmed there. To learn more we took a fun and informative guided walking trip with Reel Tours, reeltours.co.uk, £15 per person.
‘‘Liverpool is a director’s dream,’’ we were told by founder and film buff Gary Lund. ‘‘It’s got such a wealth of architecture that can be dressed up to look like it’s from different eras and places.’’
When it came to The Batman, Gary explained how Reeves knew that film-set favourites such as New York’s Times Square would be too recognisable to double for the fictional Gotham City.
So instead he turned to Liverpool and used the historic St George’s Hall as Gotham’s city hall. The statue of former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli that stands on the front steps became that of William Gotham, the city’s founder.
And the Royal Liver Building is used as the rooftop of the Gotham City Police Department. Fans who’ve seen the film may spot its clockface and tower in the scene where Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, leaps off the roof, although the legendary Liver Birds that sit atop have been digitally removed. The tour is great value and well worth doing.
To keep up the movie theme, my friend Cath and I stayed at the Hard Days Night Hotel, named after The Beatles’ film and third album.
It’s a treasure trove of Fab Four memorabilia and artwork, packed with gems including gold discs and merchandise, previously unseen photos and specially commissioned paintings.
Located in a magnificent Grade II-listed building, it’s around the corner from the famous Cavern Club where the fledgling band used to play lunchtime gigs. Our huge deluxe double room had a private balcony with a view of the Liver Birds. While there, we breakfasted to
Beatles songs and spent evenings sipping Strawberry
Fields cocktails – containing vodka infused with grass from the eponymous park.
It’s a must-stay for any music fan. Being gin fans as well, Cath and I couldn’t resist popping into the Liverpool Gin Distillery nearby.
There’s a bar where you can try the four organic gins they make on site in a copper still named “Margaret”, but we joined a make-your-own experience, liverpoolgindistillery.com, £70pp.
Tutor Steph introduced our group to 21 different botanicals – herbs, spices and fruits that give gin its taste – and explained that all gin has to contain juniper.
She then recommended adding coriander seed and angelica root too, plus three to five of those left depending on our desired flavour.
To help us the botanicals were split into different groups such as pungent, floral and citrus, and suggested
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With its wealth of architecture, Liverpool is a director’s dream
quantities were given.
I fancied something fruity with a slight kick so added ginger and cubeb (pepper with subtle lavender and menthol) plus lemon peel and rowan berries, which are tangy and bitter.
Next we added them into an unflavoured spirit derived from grain, popped them into individual copper stills and started the distilling.
While they were bubbling away, we thought up a unique name for our creations, then Steph helpfully brought round G&Ts containing each of the Liverpool ones – solely for comparison, obviously.
Once we’d distilled enough of our own, we poured it into a 70ml bottle, sealed it with wax and stuck on our very own label.
It’s a fantastic souvenir to take home – and Liverpool Gin will keep a copy of your recipe in case you ever want to reorder.
Nearby lies Ma Boyle’s, a real Liverpool institution that dates back to 1870, maboyles.com.
Once famous for its pints of oysters or prawns and popular with dockers and sailors, it’s now a bustling, friendly pub and restaurant that serves a mean scouse, a stew traditionally made with leftover meat, potatoes and veg.
It would be rude not to try it but for a fresh touch we went for the scouse pie – their deliciously hearty beef-based dish with a crisp puff pastry crust.
The staff were brimming with typical Scouse warmth. Our waiter Danny regaled us with tales of flamboyant founder Ma and kept the condiments coming and the drinks refreshed (I recommend the cherry lollipop cocktail – a “sweetshop classic for adults” with melon and almond liqueurs).
We’d arrived in Liverpool by train. Avanti West Coast runs quick and easy hourly services from London, slashing what would be a four-anda-half-hour car journey in half. The train also picks up at Stafford,
Crewe and Runcorn.
Later in our trip we returned to St George’s Hall – or Gotham City Hall, should I say? – for their History Whisperer guided tour which tells of its early years as an assize court and music hall. stgeorges hallliverpool.co.uk, £6pp.
Opened in 1854 and now Grade I-listed, it was the work of unknown architect Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, 25, who beat dozens of renowned names in a competition to design it.
It was groundbreaking stuff created to show off the prosperity Liverpool’s thriving docks had brought, with pioneering heating and ventilation.
The majestic grand hall had an ornate, barrelvaulted ceiling and a floor of 30,000 hand-crafted tiles, while Charles
Dickens used to give penny readings for up to nine hours at a time in the hall.
In contrast to the grandeur above, the underground cells that housed court prisoners were cramped, violent and unsanitary.
Hearings were often weighted against the accused and penalties severe – 15 years hard labour for
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stealing a pen. Five women and 130 men were sent to the gallows.
Our trip was rounded off at St Johns Beacon and the chance to see Liverpool’s incredible skyline from 394ft up, stjohnsbeacon.co.uk, £7pp.
Known locally as the Radio City Tower – the station is based there – it gives you prime views over landmarks such as the Royal Liver Building, the River Mersey, Liverpool’s two cathedrals and the Albert Dock – impressive by anyone’s standards.
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Our cocktails had vodka infused with grass from Strawberry Fields