Happy 800th Birthday Liverpool!
posted by Neil Richards
Today is the 800th birthday of my home town, the city of Liverpool. Most Americans that visit Britain don’t get to see Liverpool, which is a shame because it’s an interesting place. Liverpool is best known as the home of the Beatles and Liverpool FC, the most successful soccer team (by far) in England. It’s also the home of the dialect of scouse, the much-maligned but musical patois of the area (think of the Beatles’ accents, especially Ringo’s for an example). Scouse is also the name of the local signature dish, a kind of stew made of lamb and potatoes. There probably aren’t many Scousers that read Co-op, but you never know. In any event, it’s an important milestone for a city that has contributed a great deal to music and football, and is the European Capital of Culture for 2008. The image is the front page of the Liverpool Echo, the local newspaper, and is worth noting for three reasons. First, the bird on the paper’s logo is the mythical Liver Bird (pronounced to rhyme with “diver” rather than “sliver”). Second, the cover was designed by the same artist who put together the Beatles’ iconic Sgt. Pepper album cover. Third, if you look closely, in true Scouse fashion as an inducement to buy the commemorative issue (at only 45p!) is the promise of a “free pint” with the purchase of the issue. Cheers, la!
August 28, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Posted in: Culture
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Responses (2)
eric - August 29, 2007 at 9:15 am
Liverpool is best known as the home of the Beatles and Liverpool FC
Yes, but we oughtn’t forget the beloved suburban Scousers of Brookside Close!
Dudley - August 30, 2007 at 10:09 am
I greatly enjoyed a trip to Liverpool a couple of years ago–the Space Mountain Catholic Church, an excellent art museum (we caught a fun exhibit on the Stuckists, “Punk Rock Victorian”), and just walking down by the docks. LFC is also home to my favorite footballer, the great Steven Gerrard.
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