Liverpool Day

What an interesting day!

It started with an early train to Liverpool and a walk across the city from Lime Street Station to the Docks to be picked up by the National Trust minibus for our trip to the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

"Mendips", the home where the young boy John Lennon lived with his Auntie Mimi and Uncle George was first stop and that was a lovely little house .  This blip is the original front gate which is still at the property, and I could really imagine the young John peering out from the front garden, looking across the road, maybe seeing trams trundling up the central reservation instead of the traffic going past.  The guide was excellent and brought the place to life.  He explained details of John's life which were fascinating and intriguing.  He also put it all into the context of post war Liverpool and the socio historical developments of the time.

Then we moved on to 20 Forthlin Road where Paul McCartney lived with his Mother and Father and brother, Michael.  This was smaller, a council house, but just as interesting historically.  The stories we were told about John, Paul and George, and how they all met up and grew together musically were so interesting.  Do go if you get the chance!

Then we moved on to Tate Liverpool for another treat!  We had tickets for the Germany exhibition covering the period in between the two World wars with the photography of August Sanders of people of his time.  I found the ones of the lost people particularly moving and to see the changes of styles and occupations in this period was a moving History lesson.  But what I really loved, and what had a tremendous impact on me, were the works and paintings of Otto Dix, covering the same period. Now they were full of mood, emotion, colour, life in all its glory and despair and politics.  I loved them all and hated some of them too, but I will go to see them all again if I get the opportunity.  The fourteen watercolours painted for a picture book for his five year old step daughter were brilliant!  

You may realise that I've had a fabulous day and I am now a committed Otto Dix fan...

AND we didn't get wet!