Cultural Capital.

Liverpool. Self professed Cultural Capital of the UK. What can I tell you about Liverpool?

We were there to consider the University as the possible first choice for Joe. Zoology his chosen subject.

We attended the presentations; The head of communications for the University gave the first using the best monotonous tone she could muster. I had to use 3 sets of matchsticks as my eyelids snapped the first two. The head of Biosciences was more engaging, actually quite amusing, although it seemed the University was the butt of most of his jokes - I did at one point wonder if he even wanted anyone to choose Liverpool? Joe assured me they were less organised than Nottingham, which went very smoothly.

The tour led us around campus and we received a history lesson on the building works of campus over the last 10/20 years....given by students who were clearly following script as, although we were hearded carefully so as not to bump into another group, I did at one point need a natural break and emerged from the Gents into the middle of the following group to hear the exact same spiel that had bored me not 3 minutes before.

After a buffet lunch - the highlight to that point - we were shown around the labs vewing fish tank after fish tank. It really reminded me of the tours we had taken for all 4 children around their respective secondary schools over the years. "...in this room we have a fish tank....in this room we have a fish tank....in this room we have a fish tank....".

We heard lots about Liverpool, it's recent past expenditure, it's future development, but if we wanted to see where our children would be housed, we'd need to come back in April. Hmmm. The city was brimming with culture. We did in fact see a lot of evidence of said culture from days gone by, many beautiful old buildings, a good percentage of them unfortunately now derelict or at the very least neglected, one of which was the most magnificent and massive Lewis's Department Store, doubtless the victim of the 'amazing' shopping precinct and Mall that we were on our way to check out in the city centre.

It was there that we sampled a certain culture of Liverpool. Mass consumerism. It was deafening. For example, unless the same person was walking up and down the main concourse shouting her friends name for two hours solid, there are an aweful lot of 'Trace's' (as in short for Tracey) in Liverpool! Every store chain you could name was there in force. Massive floor space. Primary colours invading our visual sensibilities. All eminating from huge impressive development in the city centre, giving the baying public what they want. The professor was right. Masses of new development money swallowing up the redundancy of former architectural glory. Yes there is Culture in Liverpool that's for sure, but I'm not sure what I can tell you about it. Nothing that you can't read in books is my guess.

What I can tell you about me, is that I was like a duck out of water. I appreciate it is probably about what you know, where you are brought up - although I was not in fact brought up in London and I can say that whilst visiting Edinburgh for the first time when Popz was reviewing University, I was ready to sell up and move up there with her that weekend. As I walked to Lime Street Station, I was trying to work out in my mind what it was that I was to report to B. Her first words would be "Well, how was it?" I knew I didn't really have an answer.

I got lots of amazing shots of the culture of Liverpool, buildings, people, statues, memorials, shops, many of which would have made great photos for the blip. All I did know, and hence my blip, is that the Lime Street Station is an amazing structure which, for me represented the best bit of the trip.
I was on my way back to my home and my B.