Liverpool - Liverbirds and Seagulls
The mythical creature, featured on the city seal, agreed to be a cormorant, a coastal, colonial nester bird that used to thrive around river Mersey. Holding their wings spread out in the sun is the characteristic of the species. In a Liverbird beak is a piece of laver seaweed, not a fish on which real cormorants feed.
The popularity of Liverbirds as the city symbol originates with the iconic waterfront Royal Liver Building. The towers are nests for two Liverbirds. Constructed at the turn of the Edwardian Era, 1911, the prominent and elegant building certainly influenced the native population in spreading the awareness about a sense of belonging, own distinctiveness and local pride.
People of Liverpool, Scousers, are a distinct nation within the nation of Brits. They speak differently, think differently and behave differently than the rest of nation. And certainly are very proud of it.
Local legend has it, one Liverbird is female, called Bella, looking out to sea, watching for the seamen to return safely home, and the ships to bring wealth to the city.
The male, Bertie, is looking into the city, watching over the seamen's families, and making sure the pubs are open for the incoming seamen.
Seagulls, whatever you think about them in the first place, are remarkably faithful, attentive and caring parents. They pair for life, on equal rights, both Mom and Dad take turns with the hassle of breeding and feeding.
The Liverbirds are chained to the roof because if they were to fly away, the city would cease to exist, that's another legend. For now, the city is coping; it was worse for wear over the not so recent years but there were times when Liverpool was the second city in the British Empire, after London.
An official grant of arms to the city was given in 1797, almost a hundred year after the first slave ship, the Liverpool Merchant, set sail from the port towards Africa. The slave-trade was the first reason for Liverpool rapid rise in population, progress and prosperity. Many of the most important buildings existing to this day in the city centre were built by slave-traders.
Together with the city official emblem, the Liverbird, Liverpool has been granted its own motto, from Virgil: 'Deus Nobis Haec Otia Feci' - 'God hath granted us this ease' or in more modern terms: 'God has bestowed these blessings upon us'.
The inevitable pride and smugness associated with the conveniences of wealth have been in a way inherited by modern Liverpudlians. They are always good-humoured to the point of self-content. Which leads us to self-image and appearance. Scousers are known to be fashion-conscious. Sleek as seagulls, carrying oneself with well worked-out dignity and frivolous elegance.
As one of the lasses admitted on a public forum: 'Yes I think Liverpool is the best-dressed city. I mean, we have all the best shops and if we cant get it in the city we will travel as far as possible to get it. So come on Liverpool, let's show the rest of the world what we're made of!'
There is, of course, a great deal of diversity between different seagull species, and this comes in pair with a great difference in the Liverbird visual interpretation, as well as Liverpooldian colourful characters. Social conscience and legendary generosity have an abode in the bloodstream here, as well.
The charitable societies, institutions and organisations operating nationwide to this day, all first evolved in the city: Citizen's Advice Bureau, Legal Aid, RSPCA, Age Concern. Also the first council houses, first free school milk and school meals, first High School for Girls, first School for the Blind, first Medical Officer of Health - were all established in Liverpool. And of course, there was strong anti-slavery movement in the city, a driving force behind The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
Liverpool turned to the Industrial Age in full steam, creating one of the first buildings with the use of iron, steel and glass. A new ear began and a rivalry came to the horizon.
The neighbouring Manchester rose to power so much that it built a canal to circumnavigate port of Liverpool, so the precious cotton would not pass through the additional and increasing charges. From now on, it is said, the grudge and competition between the two cities have been loudly pronounced, and actively promoted.
There is, however, another quirky side to this ongoing rivalry, very similar to the private life of seagulls. Most of the time, they act like they can’t stand each other. Bickering, fighting, cheekily stealing a meal but deep down, they know they need to rely on one another.
When there is a common threat or goal they can squadron up and in a joint venture will achieve a victory. You never walk alone.
And such was the mutual effort to open the first passenger line on the railway in the world, between Liverpool and Manchester, in the year 1830. The spirit of community and common effort is high in the northern cities. 'Liverpudlians have an eternal, stubborn optimism that refuses to go down even in the face of overwhelming odds, complemented by an acerbic wit that binds the people together'.
The 'wit' goes with a loud and robust squeaky voice in the Scouse dialect, and lively bodily expressions. People here are very vocal, and similar to the seagulls, they developed a complex repertoire for communication. We may not be sure what they’re saying, but clearly, they’ve got something on their minds. Not only can you hear them, but you can also spot the accent a mile away. Talking to a Scouser over the phone and saying 'tra, tra' less than three times over a few minutes, marking the end of a conversation, is simply impossible.
Getting back to the Liver business, at the end of the 19th century a new game developed which completely reshaped working classes' lifestyle, replacing church attendance and religious devotion to the football stadium and football team. Just a mention on a side - the net to keep the ball in after a score, was invented in Liverpool.
Liverpool Football Club was the second in the city and its origins left sour and bitter feelings in the fellow Everton team to this day. Being from Liverpool or living here, you need to have a team; Liverpool or Everton. There is no third option.
There is also a big North and South divide within the city and wandering between them is like visiting an alien planet. Everybody sticks to own half, meeting occasionally in one of the many city-centre pubs at a pinch, for a pint, pub grub and karaoke. Apart from football rivalry, drinking is a favourite pastime. How gregarious it would be if people, like seagulls, could also drink the salty water of Mersey estuary in the instance needed to be freed from all problems.
Faithful territorialism and football rivalry are swept aside where disasters like Hillsborough are concerned. People here can be very touchy, unforgiving, proper angry and livid. Under no circumstances would you ever buy The S*n.
Liverpooldians are staunch supporters of socialism, Labour movement, unions and will imbue their offsprings with all thing proper Scouse.
Gulls adapt quickly and this is a source of their incredible survival success. They would eat pretty much anything, anywhere. But here in Liverpool, they’re basically fed on takeaways from Lobster Pot or similar. Not that people would feed them voluntarily; the reason is rubbish.
Litter is sadly visible too much. There seems to be a strange habit to throw litter directly on the street, and this makes the great city look down and dirty in many areas.
Please dump your rubbish in the dump bin, where it belongs. Seagulls are supremely clever and well-equipped birds; they don’t need any extra help from us. There is no excuse for dropping litter.
Perhaps one day the true cormorants may return to the shores of Mersey and garbage eating seagulls will decrease in numbers and only the best of Liverpool character will shine.