AnglOrony

A proper settlement usually has to have two main features: a church and a pub . What if there are both but the settlement itself is almost missing? St. Helen's church is in a tiny village of Sefton, so tiny that it appears to be non-existent. The Anglican church stands out, surrounded by the fields and it has been named so. It is more curious when finding it out to be one of the oldest churches in the area and one of the most beautifully decorated. So who has it been for? What is it doing in the middle of absolutely nowhere? Sefton village is not on any main route, it lays between Crosby and Maghull, north of Liverpool, and one has to take an extra trip to come across it. It is a perfect hidden gem . "Cathedral of the Fields" is the only Grade I listed building in the borough of Sefton. A private chapel had been built on this land in the 12th century for the Molyneux family , the Earls of Sefton who came with Norman conquest and have lived in a nearby manor until 18th c...

Cavern Quarter is a vibrant area in Liverpool, if not to say - its 'heart' - as it goes to music and nightlife. Named after the Cavern Club where The Beatles played in their early career, on numerous occasions, and where they were noticed by their manager, Brian Epstein, thus setting off for the world career, and to influence and change the music and show-business - forever. Apparently, it is an auspicious point where all the music 'ley lines' of the world are said to be met. The Cavern Club opened as a jazz club, in 1957 in warehouse cellar used as an air-raid shelter in World War II. In the early 1960s, it became a national and global centre for rock and roll music. John Lennon with the Quarrymen  played there for the first time on 7 August 1957. The first Beat night was held on 25   May 1960 and featured a performance by  Rory Storm and the Hurricanes  (which included Ringo Starr as a drummer). First performance by the Beatles ...

During her visit, Queen Elisabeth II described Hale as 'an oasis of green in an industrial landscape '. There is more to Hale Village, however. There are dozens of picturesque thatched, lime-washed cottages dating back to late 17th and 18th century, and other listed buildings. And there is a real giant ...

This major exhibition about the shared life of John Lennon and Yoko Ono  in the Museum of Liverpool spanned through 2018. It was so hugely popular that it was expanded for a few months more, till autumn 2019.  Yoko Ono opened the exhibition; she provided many of the personal items never ever displayed before, and took care that everything will be up to scratch for the public presentation. The space followed a timeline , from the first meeting of the iconic couple in London at Indica Gallery, through all the years of Lennon solo career, Plastic Ono band , their activities, artwork, successes and struggles.  Visitors could read or hear John and Yoko memories and opinions on a number of displays. It was a journey through their life , told in their own words - for the very first time on such a scale, detail and intimacy. All visuals had been kept black and white in line with the last album, Double Fantasy  and many of their joint pieces of performance art.  ...

Manchester is a world famous city for many reasons. Here, the Industrial Revolution had a full steam power ahead, making it 'the parent' of all modern cities around the world. The city gave the world the  weather report , the  atom , the  railway , the  computer . The city where both socialism and capitalism were pioneered, and the S uffragettes fought so fiercely for women's right. Above all, the city's story is stepped in the global textile industry (it is almost impossible to live without fashion). The city unique way to develop as a world metropolis , came from its special moist climate along with the supply of soft water from its three rivers . This allowed cotton processing on a huge scale and in the best setting. Cotton mills , factories and elaborate warehouses  had risen in the city’s in the 19th century to clothe millions of people and their furniture.  Nicknamed ' Cottonopolis ', Manchester accumulated wealth which enabled to buil...

Gdansk is Poland's principal seaport but you will not see the sea if you in the historic city centre. However, there is a lot of floating water to enjoy - rivers and canals that lead to the Gdansk Bay and then to the Baltic Sea .  After a few hours spent among the most beautiful buildings a city can produce, we took a walk through one of the gates onto the Mołtawa embankment . It is a marvel.  A refreshing breeze among a hub of various activities struck us straight into the face. We did not know what to look at first, so many things are going on there, so colourful, vibrant, energetic.  First, a proper river with proper ships, boats, water-trams, ferries , bustling happily, carrying passengers, fisherman, tourists. Absolute dazzle. The AmberSky Wheel on the horizon and the drawbridge immediately draw attention, as well as the number of restaurants, cafes, hotels, museums, historic places - everything that - more or less - a sophisticated visitor can wish for.  G...

For almost every Polish citizen, Gdansk has a deep and important symbolic meaning.  It is a city entwined with a historic fight for  autonomy ,  freedom ,  human rights .   Captured by the shady  Teutonic Knights  in the Middle Ages from the Polish king and Pagan tribes, with many reports of brutal massacres on the local Slavic population. After many years of  Polish-Teutonic wars , Gdansk claimed allegiance to the Polish Crown and gained autonomous status in 1457. The privilege gave the city many advantages in taxation, trade and law but perhaps most importantly - it tried to establish peace between its citizens - a mix of nationalities - with predominant Germans and Poles - also including Jews, Latvians, the Flanders, the Dutch and the Scots . Arriving at Gdansk . Above -  Gdansk Glowny  railway station and adjacent buildings in a mannerism style from the year 1900. The station stretches at the  Podwale Grodzkie , and  W...