Ferry Across the Mersey

Liverpool revisited. Been here with my family a decade earlier, but ‘twas nice to be back. Had to take a ferry across the Mersey river to get toLiverpool. It was c..c…cold so most of us opted to stay in the thermally enhanced cabin of the ferry. However, soon got restless, and wandered out into the open. The Mersey was a beautiful expanse of water and has inspired poets to wax lyrical about it in the past. Looking over the breathtaking horizon, one could see why. Even the trail of ripples lingering in the slow-moving ferry’s wake looked special. Caught sight of a fat pigeon (coo!) on deck and quickly took a full picture of it ere it flew away. Spent a quiet moment alone on the top-tier before Shen Lin and Weijie came up to hold a frost-skating contest.

Took in a sightseeing cruise culminating in a visit to Birkenhead, where we disembarked to explore HMS PLYMOUTH and HMS ONYX, two veteran ships of the 1982 Falklands war. The former was an anti-submarine frigate, and the latter, a conventional submarine that carried Special Forces to the Falklands in a world record underwater patrol of 117 days. Felt excitable as a schoolboy (which I was, at that time) scouring through the labyrinth of compact passageways in the submarine. Suppose that to be a true blue-blooded navy sailor, one had to attack like a tiger shark and live like a sardine.

Given the freedom to roam about once we docked at Liverpool. Wisely tucked in my Manchester United scarf inside my coat, and had a quick lunch at Harry Ramsden’s---Weijie earned some certificate for wolfing down lotsa food---before going to the Merseyside Maritime Museum with Jiehao. Remember a photograph of my family posing outside the museum ten years ago, so had an updated one taken at exactly the same spot by the giant anchor.

There were some beautiful oil paintings of ships inside the museum that reminded me of Joseph Conrad’s works. Also on display were War World II memorial such as Nazi flags, torpedoes, film footage and newspaper cuttings. There was also a very huge model of the TITANIC occupying an entire room. Remember that ‘tis the days before James Cameron’s blockbuster epic.

Time was rather tight, so I hurried Jiehao as we still had the Beatles museum on our agenda. A long but enjoyable stroll across town to the museum. The Liverpool dock was a beautiful place. Gray stone bricks outlined the dock, their unflinching solidity in harmonious contrast to the shimmering waters in the soothing breeze. Nothing much has changed about this place, still the same feel to it. Remember thinking, “Ten years ago I was walking down this same pavement.” ‘Twas a strange feeling; felt like a time traveler from 12 Monkeys.

Found Mr Barker and Mr Lim browsing around in the Beatles souvenir shop. Wasn’t much time left, but Mr Barker kindly told us to “hurry up and have a quick look around”. So off we went into the passageway commemorating the rise and eventual disband of the Beatles.

Got to see from video footage what “Beatlemania” was all about. The trio, plus Ringo Starr, was so popular that hysteria seemed to tail them like flies on a hot summer day. They only have to step out onto the streets and the masses of anticipative crowd who worshipped them with ardent fever would go delirious. It must have been difficult to live in all that pressure cooking limelight. Don’t suppose any mortal will ever scale such heights again.

Back in the souvenir shop, both teachers were still shopping around. Mr Lim in particular was snapping up every merchandise in sight. Must have been a fanatic in his youth. Jiehao made a souvenir coin from a penny while I bought two Beatles T-shirts for my father, who gave them away to my uncle though. Oh well…Afterwards we walked back to the mini-vans to collective moans and jeers from the rest of the waiting guys. Luckily both teachers were around to take the flak for us... hehe.

Heysham Nuclear Power Station

One of the first attractions we visited in the tour was a nuclear power station in picturesque England. Duh. The town of Heysham seemed normal enough, anyway, didn't chance upon any fire-spewing reptiles or green apes in purple trousers.

The power station was an impressive fortress by itself, boasting of a complex labyrinth of factory-like blocks and link bridges. Came face to face with a nuclear reactor. It wailed so loudly that we had to cup our ears even after donning hard caps with ear covers and earplugs. The whole place was just one immense technological shrine, much like the interior of the Death Star from Star Wars. Only thing missing were the fighter jets. And Darth Vader. Though I swear one of the staff resembled the caped one.

The guide to the power station was helpful enough anyway, though she was more a motherly teacher than a friendly friend. Some of us asked her the intelligent questions Mr Barker wanted us to (could you explain the process of nuclear fission, what are some of the jobs your staff do, blah blah blah), but all I thought of asking was “Does your boss look like Mr Burns?” and “So, where does Homer Simpson seat?”.

Granada Studios

Visited the famous Granada Studios first time we drove into Manchester. ‘Twas like any other similar theme park (such as Universal Studio in USA), just that the subject was different, that’s all.

Still had an enjoyable day out anyway. After a long wait for tickets in the open, where we were ravaged by the bitter cold, it was entry into paradise. Got to sit in at the replica set of the House of Commons (something like Britain’s parliament) and wandered around Coronation Street. Walking in one of the sets, an extensive stretch of dimly lit London Street from times past, was a magical experience, surreal. You could be absorbed in your own world as you strolled past horse carriages, resting elderly couples and rapturous children playing on the streets, as a choir serenaded the dreamy setting.

Less sentimental fools would have delighted in the high-tech display: watching an alien ship descending down on an entire city, and a replay of the infamous Fire of London, where---horror of horrors!---a massive fire burnt down a good part of England’s capital. Though on hindsight it might’ve be wiser for someone to inform that hysterical kid fleeing from the front that at no time was there any danger of the fire in London spreading to a studio in Manchester.

For the adventurous there were a couple of pseudo-jungle tracks, though it was a tad too dark to really see anything. ‘Twas only after the whole trip when I went through my flash-enhanced photographs that I saw the menacing gorilla and mystic statue in the thick canopy.

Then of course there was the replica of 10 Downing Street, the official residence of Britain’s Prime Minister. Methinks they might like to learn from their American cousins and plan for a White House Study/ Oval Room- style display to really draw in the crowds...