British Isles Explorer: Liverpool III (3/31/2022)

Thursday, March 31, 2022 (continued)

At 14:00 we met on the dock for our three-and-a-half hour motorcoach tour of Liverpool.

World Museum (est 1853, building 1860 by John Weightman,
rebuilt after extensive damage by bombing during World War II)
with with collections and displays of life sciences, earth
sciences and human cultures around the world

Liverpool Central Library shares the building with the
World Museum, but the interior was refurbished 2010-2013 (KSS)

The Picton Reading Room (1875-1879, by Cornelius Sherlock)
was the first electrically lighted library in the United Kingdom

Wellington's Column (1861-1865, by
Andrew Lawson, statue by his brother,
George Anderson Lawson) honors the
Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo (KSS)

The enormous St George's Hall (1841-1854, by Harvey
Lonsdale Elmes, in Neoclassical, although mostly Grecian,
 style), which housed both law courts and concert halls (KSS)

Lime Street Railway Station (1833-1836, by
John Cunningham, Arthur Holme, and John Foster Jr,
with several expansions) is the oldest still-operating
grand terminus mainline station in the world

Liverpool Empire Theatre (1924-1925, by by W Milburn
and T R Milburn, in Neoclassical style) has the largest
two-tier auitorium in the United Kingdom, and was
the venue for the Beatles' last concert in Liverpool

Wellington Rooms (1815-1816, by Edmund Aikin
in Regency style) was used by high society for
assemblies, balls, and other social events,
but is now derelict and empty (KSS)

Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (1962-1967,
by Sir Frederick Gibbard) is the seat of the Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Liverpool; it is nicknamed "Paddy's Wigwam"

#4 Rodney Street was the birthplace of
Brian Epstein, who "discovered" the
Beatles in the Cavern Club in 1961
and became their manager

Philharmonic Dining Rooms (1898-1900,
by Walter W Thomas) was a favorite pub of
the Beatles and was where Paul McCartney
played an impromptu concert after filming
Carpool Karaoke with James Corden
in June 2018 (KSS)

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (1937-1939, by
Herbert James Rowse in Streamline Moderne style)

Blackburne House (1780) was purchased in 1844 for the
Blackburne House Girls' School, the first school
for girls in Liverpool; later the Women’s Technology and
Education Centre  was established in 1983 with the aim of
progressing women from disadvantaged backgrounds
into employment within technical professions (KSS)

Part of A Case History (1998, by John King) where
each case is labeled with the name of a famous "owner"
from the Liverpool region, such as each of the Beatles

Whew! Our first stop on the motorcoach tour!

West Door of Liverpool Cathedral (1904-1978,
by Giles Gilbert Scott), the seat of the
Anglican Bishop of Liverpool and  the
longest cathedral in the world at 189 m/621'

The grave of architect Giles Gilbert Scott

The Welcoming Christ (1993, by
Dame Elisabeth Frink, her last work) (KSS)

Dulverton Bridge crosses at the end of the nave
just before the area under the central tower

Looking back at the west window,
the Benedicite (by Carl Edwards), based
on an ancient text calling upon all creation
to sing praise to its creator

Off-white baptismal font under a
soaring baldachin with a suspended
Gothic wooden font cover

View of the chancel from under the bell tower

The foundation stone was laid by King Edward VII in 1904

A model of the complete design by Giles Gilbert Scott
that had to be modified due to cost and lack of materials

Outraged Christ (c 1971-2005, later
completed in 2011, by Charles Luytens) is
the focus of prayers and donation for Ukraine

Tomb of Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby,
who was a major benefactor of the cathedral; it is interesting
that in 1888, Stanley was appointed Governor General of
Canada, where his sons became avid ice hockey players
resulting in the gift of the Stanley Cup in 1892, originally
for the best amateur hockey club, but later exclusively
for professional teams in 1909, and the NHL in 1926

Carved on the tomb are an eagle and child, which are
also on the Stanley family crest (KSS)

Kent "volunteered" to stand at one end of
the "whispering arch" and was able to hold
a conversation with someone at the other end,
which no one else could hear

A relief of Reverend Francis James Chavasse, the Bishop
of Liverpool at the beginning of construction of the cathedral

The ornate high altar was designed by
Giles Gilbert Scott and covered with gold leaf

The choir included two paintings; this is The Prodigal Son
(1995-1996, by Christopher Le Brun)

Parts of the Henry Willis Organ (1923-1926),
which is the largest organ in the United Kingdom

A parting look at the east end of Liverpool Cathedral,
or officially the Cathedral Church of the Risen Christ (KSS)

Next: Liverpool IV.