Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as “Liverpudlians” and nicknamed “Scousers”, though this term is often (erroneously) used to cover other Merseysiders. They are noted for their distinctive accent and dialect, called Scouse.

Liverpool has a vibrant artistic life. Several pre-Raphaelites are among the important paintings in the Walker Art Gallery. Sudley House contains another major collection of pre 20th century art. The Tate Liverpool gallery houses the modern art collection of the Tate in the north of England. The Liverpool Biennial is a festival of arts held (as the name implies) every two years. The festival generally runs from mid September to late November and comprises three main sections; the International, The Independents and New Contemporaries although many fringe events are timed to coincide.

It was during this event in 2004 that Yoko Ono’s work “My mother is beautiful” caused widespread public protest by exhibiting photographs of a naked woman’s pubic area on the main shopping street. Despite protests the work remained in place.A flourishing orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra performs in its own hall, the Philharmonic Hall. The city also became well known for the Liverpool poets, of whom Roger McGough and the late Adrian Henri are among the best known. The anthology The Mersey Sound, by Henri, McGough and Brian Patten, has sold over 500,000 copies since first being published in 1967.

The city is also home to several successful theatre companies, such as the Everyman and Playhouse and the Unity TheatreIn 2003, Liverpool was awarded status as European Capital of Culture for 2008 and property developer Grosvenor started a £750 million regeneration of part of the city centr.

The King John’s Charter of 1207 created the Borough of Liverpool and by the middle of the 16th century the population was still only around 500. In the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. A number of battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen-day siege in 1644.

In 1699 Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, that same year its first slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa. As trade from the West Indies surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, Liverpool began to grow. The first wet dock in Britain was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow. By close of the century Liverpool controlled over 40% of European and 80% of Britain’s slave commerce.

By the start of the century, 40% of the world’s trade was passing through Liverpool and the construction of many major buildings reflected this wealth. The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during the 1840’s when the Irish began arriving by the thousands due to the Great Famine. By 1851, approximately 25% of the city was Irish-born. During the first part of the 20th century, Liverpool was pulling in emigrants from across Europe. During World War II there were eighty air-raids on Merseyside, killing 2500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Since 1952 Liverpool has been twinned with Cologne, Germany, a city which shared the horrifying experience of excessive aerial bombing.

Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. In the 1960s Liverpool became a centre of youth culture. The “Merseybeat” sound which became synonymous with The Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian pop bands of the era catapulted the city to the front of the popular music scene. (more…)

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England. The city is governed by Liverpool City Council, one of five councils within the Metropolitan county of Merseyside. The population of the borough in 2002 was 441,477, and that of the Merseyside conurbation was 1,362,026. Whilst it has lost most of its manufacturing base, Liverpool is still well-known as a sea port. In sporting terms, it is home to the internationally-known football clubs Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. In the year 2008, Liverpool will hold the European Capital of Culture title. Liverpool is one of England’s core cities, and is its 5th most highly populated.

In the late 19th century, Liverpool laid claim to being the “Second Port of the Empire”, handling more goods than any city outside London.

Liverpool is also internationally famous for its connections with popular music; the city is the birthplace of The Beatles, one of the most successful and famous bands of all time.

Liverpool is situated along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, with the city centre located about 5 miles inland from the Irish Sea. Liverpool has a varied topography being built across a ridge of hills rising up to a height of around seventy metres above sea-level at Everton Hill. The city’s urban area runs directly into Bootle and Crosby in Sefton, Huyton, and Prescot in Knowsley. It faces Wallasey and Birkenhead across the River Mersey.

In 1207, King John granted Liverpool its first charter. In 1644, during the English Civil War, Liverpool surrendered to the royalists under Prince Rupert after several sieges. Air raids during World War II caused heavy damage and casualties. The statesman William Gladstone, the artist George Stubbs, and the members of the musical group the Beatles were born in Liverpool.

Liverpool Cathedral, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, was begun in 1904 and completed in 1978. A Roman Catholic cathedral was consecrated in 1967. St. George’s Hall is an imposing building in a group that includes libraries and art galleries. The Walker Gallery has a fine collection of Italian and Flemish paintings, as well as more modern works. The Univ. of Liverpool was incorporated in 1903. There is a separate school of tropical medicine.

The city’s most famous sons are undoubtedly The Beatles and the city attracts many visitors who come to follow the trail of the Fab Four from their humble beginnings to international stardom as the world’s first super band. And it’s impossible to talk about Liverpool without talking about football; divided in to two camps - either the blue of Everton or the red of Liverpool, both teams play in England’s top Premiership league and, male or female, young or old, it seems like the entire city is passionate about the sport.

The red half of the city had extra reason to celebrate in 2005 when Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe after overturning a 3-0 deficit to beat AC Milan on penalties in the Champions League Final in a spectacular game that’s still fondly talked about around the city’s bars. This incredible melting pot has earned Liverpool the accolade of being crowned Europe’s capital of culture for 2008, an event for which the city is already planning its celebrations.