Liverpool 2007

 

Much has been made of Liverpool's successful bid for the honour of the title "Capital of Culture" in 2008. Unfortunately this has tended to overshadow what ought to have been a more significant anniversary in 2007, namely the marking of 800 years since the town was first granted a Royal Charter in 1207.

 

King John may have had his faults, but he was no fool (irrespective of the words W. Disney Esq. has attributed to him via speeches made by his cartoon characters).

 

He was astute enough to realise the potential of Liverpool as a staging post for conquests in Ireland and all points West. The fact that the Gulf Stream could almost guarantee Liverpool a mild climate and an ice-free harbour would no doubt have been worthy of an extra ‘tick' in the plus column. The Vikings who settled on the Mersey's north banks (leaving names such as Kirk-dale and Form-by) as reminders of their presence would have chosen the site for similar reasons, though it is interesting to note that the Romans who came somewhat later were not particularly famed for their seafaring skills, and seem to have stayed their advance at Deva, modern day Chester.                                        

 

After being granted its Royal Charter, Liverpool appears to have remained on the periphery of mainstream politics and one step removed from the skulduggery and intrigues which were a constant feature of society at the time. It is tempting to speculate whether Shakespeare might have been thinking of the houses of Lancaster and York when he inserted the line "A plague on both your houses!" ostensibly referring to the Montagus and the Capulets in "Romeo & Juliet". Certainly, Liverpool remained true to the Red Rose of Catholic Lancaster in the war against the White Rose of Protestant York.

 

The town's proud maritime traditions had their ‘down side', however. One of the less salubrious details of Liverpool's history is the connection with the slave trade. While this generated great wealth for the major players, it must be admitted that it also resulted in suffering, injury, humiliation and death for many others.

 

Liverpool can be seen in a much more flattering light when the advances which occurred during relatively few years as a result of the Industrial Revolution are considered. The Trials which led to George Stevenson being commissioned to build a commercially viable steam locomotive were held in Liverpool. Fictionalised in the popular TV series "The Onedin Line", the development of steam rather than sail for shipping was also pioneered in Liverpool.

 

In the field of medicine, few can have contributed so much to the general welfare of the sick as Dr. Duncan, who was one of the first to recognise the importance of cleanliness and hygienic conditions in the treatment of patients. Medical research facilities at the city's main universities are considered amongst the best in the world. Alder Hey, one of the first hospitals dedicated to the treatment of sick children, is also to be found here.

 

In recent years experts have attributed Liverpool's distinctive nasal ‘twang' to the legacy of two distinct "immigrant groups" who have set their permanent mark on the city's cosmopolitan nature.

 

The earlier group were Vikings who settled along the north bank of the Mersey even before John granted the town its charter. The second group were from Ireland and arrived in two distinct movements. The first was a direct result of the Diaspora following the Flight of Earls, from 1607 onwards: the second was the general flight from starvation when the crops failed for several years running in the late 19^th century.

 

Liverpool's role as a harbour which helped to keep the country fed during the traumatic years of WWII cannot be overlooked, and the spirit of "We can see this through if we all give each other a hand" lived on well into the Sixties and beyond.

 

However, "The Sixties" are associated more with new music and entertainment coming out of Liverpool, and in the last few decades the entertainment industry has been a major influence in the city's economic regeneration. From Billy Fury, through the phenomenon of The Beatles and their contemporaries, via performers such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood and The Zutons: the list is endless, covering every genre of music.

 

There are few cities which can boast not just one but two cathedrals of completely different yet somehow complementary styles, in such close proximity that the late Archbishop of Liverpool's Anglican cathedral called his autobiography "On a Street Called Hope" - Hope Street runs between the two edifices.

 

It has to be acknowledged that a Scouse wit would probably regard the question of "Orange or Green?" as being less important than "Red or Blue?" Religious tolerance, however, is something instinctive which is etched on every true Liverpudlian's generous heart.