urban-chic’s-top-ten-paid-attractions-in-liverpool-part-II

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No 6. The Beatles Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger once claimed that he wanted to be so famous that the world would know who he was by simply uttering his first name. Although the muscleman has achieved that, he isn’t alone. In the 1960’s John, Paul, George and Ringo did pretty much the same. Their story is told here at the Beatles Story in Liverpool’s famous Albert Dock. http://www.beatlesstory.com/ Young children may not appreciate the importance of The Beatles in modern music, and the nostalgia that parents will revel in may be lost on them, the interactive and audio visual aspect of the tour, especially around the psychedelic era, will keep them entertained while mum and dad take a trip back through memory lane. The Beatles Story wholly immerses you within the formative years of the Fab Four, including a full sized replica of the famous Cavern Club and its stage as well as the iconic Yellow Submarine, complete in its underwater setting that proves a huge hit with children of all ages. These items are just the tip of the iceberg, as the museum is crammed with thousands of authentic items and memorabilia from the Beatles childhood and the incredible years that followed. It is the scrupulous attention to detail and authenticity of The Beatles Story that cannot help but impress and inform. Despite this, the tour is not a long arduous one and even the most ardent Beatles fan will feel that after an hour or so, they have done the Fab Four justice! Almost as impressive as the museum, is its gift shop that offers a vast amount of Beatles memorabilia. It is easy to lose track of time glancing through the treasures on offer. (If you feel your child may become a little bored or fractious during a visit, a perfect solution is to promise to buy them a piece or two of the most delicious chocolate covered Coconut Ice from Quay Confectionery from within the Albert Dock complex above the museum, after you have finished! Here speaks the voice of experience!) Tickets cost £12.50 for adults, £8.50 for concessions and £6.50 for children (aged 5-16). Children under five are free. A variety of Family Tickets are also available ranging from £37 for 2 adults and 3 children down to just £21 for one adult, and two children.

No 7. Liverpool Football Club Museum and Tour

The most successful club in England have developed their own museum and tour of Anfield to bring to life the achievements of the past, and a taste of the future. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/club/tour.htm The tour will take you into the very heart of the stadium, the home team dressing room, referees room and interview areas, before touching the famous “This is Anfield” sign and walking through the players tunnel out onto the side of the world famous pitch. You can sit where great managers past and present have directed their teams to unparalleled success, before standing on the famous Spion kop, the largest single tiered stand in Europe. Throughout the hour long tour, two informed guides will be on hand to explain the history of the club and answer any questions you may have. All of course with blatant Liverpool FC bias! Once the tour is completed you can visit the Anfield museum, where many artefacts from the clubs illustrious past, such as their 5 European cup trophies, and 18 League titles, are displayed. This is almost a limited time opportunity to see the original Anfield, because very shortly, it won’t be there (There are plans for Liverpool to move to a brand new ground in Stanley Park). So book that visit now before it’s too late.

The club advise people wishing to attend the tour and museum to call and reserve places up to two weeks in advance of your intended visit. The cost is £10 per adult, £6 for children under 16. A family ticket costing £25 for 2 adults and 2 children is also available.

No 8. Speke Hall Gardens and Estate

Whilst you are unlikely to stumble across Derek Acorah and Yvette Fielding (UK Living’s Most Haunted – popular UK T.V. programme) trying to communicate with ghosts as you wander around this wonderful Tudor Manor, don’t let that spoil your enjoyment of a truly beautiful National Trust property. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-spekehall.htm The manor itself is a mish-mash of styles throughout the ages. A great hall and priest’s hole come straight from the 16^th century, while smaller rooms are furnished from the Victorian period. Children of all ages are well catered for here, as “Tracker Packs” allow them to wander the area looking to uncover secrets! There is also a lively trail for them to follow in the grounds, as well as objects from the dairy to be examined to try and ascertain their use! Podcast tours are available for hire too and teenagers will no doubt be interested in the “ghostly” goings on at the hall http://www.zurichmansion.org/halls/speke.htm ,that have been well documented in the television programme “Most Haunted”. Outside the hall building itself there are woodland walks to enjoy, with views down towards the Mersey basin and across South Wirral to the Welsh hills, extensive beautifully cultivated gardens and an excellent outdoor children’s play area to let the young ones burn off some energy! Home Farm houses Speke Hall’s restaurant and shop, serving tasty local food and selling locally grown produce.

Admission fees are £7.50 for an adult, £3.80 for a child, with a family ticket costing £20.50. You can also choose not to go into the Hall, and instead just enjoy the gardens for the reduced rate of £4.50 per adult, £2.50 per child and £11.50 for the family ticket. Parking is free, though the National Trust do offer reduced admission rates for people who arrive on foot, cycle or public transport.

No 9. The Yellow Duckmarine

Once you have recovered your composure from the dreadful pun in the title, The Yellow Duckmarine http://www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk/home.htm is a unique experience and a memorable way to see some of the major sights of the glorious Liverpool waterfront. It is also made all the more enjoyable if you fail to tell your children where the modified D.U.K.W, or as they are more affectionately known “duck”, is eventually going to end up! The tour begins at the Gower Street bus stop, in front of the stunning Albert Dock complex, and travels on a circular route along the famous Liverpool waterfront and into the bustling heart of the city centre, taking in such marvellous architectural edifices as St Georges Hall, The Three Graces, The Pier Head, The Philharmonic Hall and both world famous Roman Catholic and Anglican Cathedrals. This “road” part of the tour lasts approximately thirty minutes, before your garish yellow “duck” heads back into the dock to unload its passengers… But not until it has ploughed nose first straight into Salthouse dock! If you managed to keep this a secret, and your children are not hyperventilating with shock and excitement, what follows is an enjoyable thirty minute jaunt around Wapping, Queens and Coburg docks ending with the duck driving out of the Albert dock, and right back to your starting point at the Gower Street bus stop. The hour long trip is accompanied by a tour guide who will provide an enjoyable live commentary (which is often equally entertaining, as it is educational!).

The tours depart every day of the week, one each hour, from 10.30am. Tickets can be purchased from the Yellow Duckmarine shop in the Anchor Courtyard, or alternatively they can be bought over the phone with a credit or debit card on 0151 708 7799 two weeks before your intended tour. Tickets must to be collected from the ticket office fifteen minutes prior to the start of the tour. Prices vary if you intend to visit during peak (school holidays or bank holidays) or off peak times. For peak periods the cost is £11.95 per adult, £9.95 per child with a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children costing £34. For off peak periods the costs are £9.95 per adult, £7.95 per child and the family ticket costs £29.

10. Liverpool’s Theatres and Concert Halls including :

The Neptune Theatre - http://www.neptunetheatre.com/
The Royal Court Theatre - http://www.royalcourtliverpool.co.uk/
The Liverpool Empire Theatre -http://www.liverpoolempire.org.uk/
The Playhouse / Everyman Theatres -http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/
The Echo Arena -http://www.accliverpool.com/
The Brindley -http://www.thebrindley.org.uk/
The Royal Philharmonic Hall - http://www.liverpoolphil.com/

The thriving Liverpool theatre scene offers a huge variety of performers, plays and productions that will appeal to a vast audience, including families. From the tiny Neptune theatre, through to the brand new, state of the art, 10,000+ seat Echo Arena, barely a week passes without a globally renowned star showcasing their talents in one of the many theatrical venues. For the children events such as Disney’s Finding Nemo on Ice (Echo Arena, from 24^th-28^th September 2008), Neptune Theatres Production of Disney’s High School Musical (Neptune Theatre, April 13^th – May 31^st 2009) Horrid Henry Live and Horrid (Playhouse, 11^th-15^th November 2008) and Footloose (Empire Theatre, 13^th – 18^th October 2008) are hugely popular and well attended, it is advisable to book tickets in advance.. For those who are inclined to rock, Liverpool caters superbly for the music fan with bands and stars such as McFly, Queen and Paul Rodgers, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison, Paul Weller, The Temptations, Will Young, The Wombats, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, The Zutons and Elton John (phew!) all booked to play at various venues across the city before 2009! Not to mention the glitzy MTV Europe Music Awards. This will be hosted in the Echo Arena on 6th November 2008 and will feature a vast array of musical talent from across the globe. For comedy fans, the choices are equally rich. Established comedians such as Steve Coogan, The Mighty Boosh, Ken Dodd, Jeff Green and Ed Byrne, will play across the city along with emerging new talent such as Russell Howard and Jason Manford, not to mention the Rawhide Comedy Club where aspiring local comics often get their first taste of playing to the renowned Liverpool crowd! Fans of traditional theatre, ballet, musicals, opera and contemporary theatre have a wealth of performances to choose from; Hobson’s choice, Cabaret, For The Love of Mrs Brown, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Barber of Seville, Othello, Sleeping Beauty and King Lear and many more. Lovers of classical music should plan a visit to the Royal Philharmonic Hall for one of their many concerts and where in September incumbent principal conductor Vassily Petrenko, will open his third season at “the Phil” by conducting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto Number 2, and Prokofiev’s Symphony number 5. It is advisable to check local listings and book tickets for any planned theatre or concert hall events prior to your arrival to avoid the disappointment of missing out. Liverpool’s theatres and concert halls provide a vast array of productions suited to all discerning tastes and all age ranges, making it truly worthy of the title Capital of Culture 2008.

And you could be central to it all. Staying in Urban Chic’s luxurious serviced apartments at the heart of this thriving, ambitious and exciting city. Why not book with Urban Chic today to treat yourself to a stay in our serviced accommodation of the finest quality and enjoy the luxury of the top hotels, in an apartment that feels like home. Book your stay with Urban Chic today, in the city of unrivalled opportunity, unlimited entertainment and cultural diversity and, instead of simply witnessing the future of this wonderful city unfold from afar, you could become a part of it yourself!