Walk Report

London Group's Magical Mystery Tour "You'll Never Walk Alone", Friday 17th - Sunday 19th April 2015
14 walkers, various miles - leader Paul Lawrence
13 walkers joined Paul Lawrence for a weekend of culture, heritage, football and of course walking in Liverpool. We wasted no time on the Friday exploring the stunning Waterside, which had set the stage for mass migrations of people to the Americas as well as a brutal industrial scale trade in slaves.
On the Saturday we set off, under blue suburban skies, to walk along the coast and sand dunes North of Liverpool. We passed strange humanoid sculptures emerging from the waves. Further on harassed ducks tried to keep their large families in order. We continued along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal passing locks, docks and mammoth warehouse blocks. On we went past Billy Fury, Razzle Tazzle boats, giant palm trees and a pagoda until we got to Penny Lane. After 20 miles we at last found a bus shelter near the middle of a roundabout and returned to the City Centre for a well-deserved evening meal.
On Sunday Paul had even more wonders to show us. A Protestant Cathedral and a Catholic Cathedral, Grade 1 listed Gents Urinals (no grades for the ladies), Chinatown, neo-classical buildings, Liver birds and the home of Brian Epstein. Later some of the group made the pilgrimage to Anfield while those of a different cultural persuasion hit the excellent museums.
Our LDWA City Break had been a great success thanks to Paul's brilliant organization and his encyclopaedic knowledge on just about everything. What better way to round off the weekend than a Ferry across the Mersey.
Report by Susanne Waldschmidt
Photographs by Susanne Waldschmidt and Bola Baruwa

---