Post by Kev on Oct 4, 2003 12:24:25 GMT -5
Liverpool Screen
Liverpool is the most filmed British city outside London. It was used as the location for over 140 films last year.
All good actors have body doubles and so it seems, do all good cities. Liverpool can often be found doubling up for Moscow, Dublin, Paris and even Venice.
Liverpool's cinema credits include: 51st State, The Hunt for Red October, My Kingdom, The Virgin Of Liverpool, In the Name of the Father, Letter to Brezhnev, Backbeat and Priest.
Treading the boards
LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) was opened in 1996 at a cost of over £20 million. Sir Paul McCartney helped found the institute and is its lead patron.
Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and the Beatles performed at Liverpool's Empire Theatre.
The Playhouse Theatre is one of the oldest Repertory theatres outside London and has in the past been a venue for the likes of Noel Coward, Rex Harrison and Cecil Parker.
Music
Liverpool holds the Guinness Book of Records for being the Capital of Pop - that's because more artists with a Liverpool origin have had a number one hit, than from any other location
Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon's childhood homes have been restored to their former glory by the National Trust and opened to the public.
The annual Mathew Street Music Festival over the August Bank Holiday is one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe.
The Lightning Seeds, Space, Cast and The Coral all call Liverpool home.
Artistic flair
Fifteen feet tall and painted bright yellow, the SuperLambBanana, a cross between a lamb and a banana, is located on the waterfront. This is one of the city's more unusual art works.
The Walker Art Gallery is the national gallery of the North and houses one of the most comprehensive collection of art outside of London.
Tate Liverpool opened in 1988 and is the home of the national collection of modern art in the north of England and is the largest gallery of modern art outside London.
The Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Visual Art from September-November will showcase work by UK and international artists at over 40 venues.
Sporting Distinction
Liverpool is home to the Grand National, the most famous and gruelling steeplechases in the world.
Liverpool is the most successful footballing city in England - 27 league championships, 4 European Cups, three Eufa cups, 1 cup winners cup, 11 FA cups, 6 league cups.
Dixie Dean secured the all time goal scoring record when playing for Everton FC. Dean scored 82 goals in the 1927-28 season.
Merseyside has over 40 golf courses, 7 of championship status. These include the Royal Liverpool, Birkdale and Formby Golf Courses.
Architecture
Liverpool has 2,500 listed buildings and 250 public monuments.
Liverpool has the largest collection of Grade II listed buildings outside of London.
Liverpool's three graces - the Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings, are to be joined by a fourth. Designed by Will Alsop, 'the Cloud' is a futuristic, three tiered structure that will be home to offices, a hotel and community facilities.
Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Britain and the fifth largest in the world.
The Liver Building is one of the earliest examples of multi-storey reinforced concrete construction in the world.
Diversity
Liverpool is home to one of the oldest Chinese and African communities in Europe.
Liverpool Firsts
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the first successful passenger carrying railway in the world. Trials for Stephenson's Rocket were carried out at Rainhill in 1829.
Liverpool carried out and financed the first ever Atlantic telegraph cable in 1886.
Birkenhead Park was the first municipal park in the country and the model for the more famous Central Park in New York.
Industrial Past
Meccano model trains and the Dinky Toy were invented by Frank Hornby of Liverpool.
Sir Henry Tate of 'Tate and Lyle', opened his first refinery in Liverpool in 1872.
Both Littlewoods and Vernons football pools came from Liverpool.
The world's first School of Tropical Medicine was opened in 1898 and was successful in discovering that Malaria could be passed on by the bite of the Mosquito.
Viscount Leverhulme opened the soap factory Lever Brothers and also built the famous Port Sunlight village for his workers.
