It will never be fully established how direct the link was between this gravestone and the Beatles'…read moreclassic. Although he and John were visitors to the churchyard and met mere feet from this spot, Paul McCartney has said the apparent coincidence could in fact be a concoction of his subliminal self. Then again, how can you believe him? He thought writing about the Mull of Kintyre was a nifty idea. To be fair, I visited this boneyard a while back just for something to do and was struck by how many of the stones contain the names 'Eleanor' or 'Rigby' in some permutation or other. I'd be surprised if Macca didn't accidentally call his mum Ellie after coming here. The real Eleanor Rigby was a scullery maid who died 364 days before Lennon was born and almost certainly did not keep her face in a jar by the door. Standing looking at the patch were her bones now rest makes you wonder whether you'll ever posthumously be part of a famous song...I mean ones you haven't just penned yourself because that's almost as sad as looking at a stranger's grave.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The Africa Oyé cometh but once a year and you'd be a fool to miss it!…read more The biggest African festival* in the UK and growing, held in Sefton Park with artists from Cuba, Haiti, Senegal, Jamaica, UK and many others, it highlights a massive cultural celebration which people from all over the city gather to join in! Fantastically, this year (June 19th-20th) the weather was glorious, so donning suncream, picnic rug and beers we took our place on the grass and chilled to some amazing live music. Perfection. They also had loads of tents and stalls set up selling original clothing and accessories, (my friend got there early and raided the stores finding the best earrings ever.) and let's not forget the food. Spicy jerk chicken and authentic African dishes (Flava had their own stall) and a huge inflatable slide and tea-cups! They had face painting, dance classes and arts and crafts, so you've got every opportunity to get creative. A mini- festival in your back garden for the weekend. I can't think of a better way to spend my time! Did I mention all this is free? Write the date in your calendar. You won't regret it. *So I'm told!

Africa Oye is an excellent African Music Festival held once a year in Sefton Park. It is an…read moreexcellent location and I wish there were more events like this held there. The set up is really well organised. They have a big stage and also a reggae tent, providing a choice of music for the festival goers. They have a large number of stalls selling CD's, clothing, hats, gifts, records, African and Jamaican food, burgers, beer, cider, face painting, ice creams and much more. The festival has an excellent atmosphere. As it is a free festival people can float in and out as they please, or stay for the full 12-9 stretch on each day. I've been here twice so far and I am looking forward to the next one. An excellent weekend out for everyone.

Pickerings Pasture isn't easy to find. Squashed on the edge of an industrial park in Hale, south…read moreLiverpool, it's in a pretty odd location and if you haven't been before, there's a chance you may get lost. But that doesn't detract from its superb view. To the left lies the Runcorn Bridge. On a bright day sun glints off it and the glass panels on the other side of the water. To the right off this grassy stretch is a delightful bird watching spot. Nuts adorn every other tree alongside fat balls, meaning there are many types of birds you won't find in the average garden. The watching spot looks onto a mere, which it has to be said isn't that impressive. You do see the odd heron, mind you. For photographers it's a real challenge to snap the birds before they fly away - besides the cocky robin that is.

Pickerings Pasture is a stretch of small nature reserve on the banks of the Mersey estuary with…read moreviews of the turbid river and the Runcorn bridge glinting faraway in the sun, even at night. It was constructed in the early eighties, when a thick duvet of clay was draped over the pungent industrial detritus that had been accumulating on the site since the 1950s. While this sounds like the beginnings of a zombie film (and believe me nobody would want that more than myself) there's still a sublime stroll to be had around this wildflower grassland. In the far corner of the reserve stands a shoddy bird hide that you should probably avoid. There's always one grubby old man sat here staring out at the wastes beyond. You get the feeling striking up a conversation with him would result in a flash of eyes and an inhuman shriek, followed by him walking from a shallow grave a week later. Yes, I'm just scaremongering. Visit Pickerings Pasture on a sunny afternoon and you can sit on a bench and watch the river go by, wondering just what the hell it is those petrochemical plants across the river are pumping up your nostrils.

"Smithdown Road: twinned with Baghdad". So said the graffiti I once saw. Funny, but ultimately…read moreunfair. From the lofty heights were it joins Parliament Street down to the point where it connects with Penny Lane junction, Smithdown Road (or the A562 to its friends) is just over one and a half miles long. It certainly packs a lot in, flirting with a cemetery, two parks, three major supermarkets and countless businesses of varying heritage. It's no wonder why 'The Secret Life of Smithdown Road' will feature as an exhibition at the 2011 opening of the Museum of Liverpool. Historically, the roadway was beaten into shape by three English kings. The name itself comes from the area of Esmedune that appeared in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book. King John added a manor in 1207. Then in 1604, King James I did away with the manor's surrounding hunting park, allowing people to live and farm on the land for the first time. For years afterwards it was little more than a country lane until the Victorians came and dropped great dollops of brick everywhere. Nowadays, the road is a cultural hotch-potch. Speeding its leviathan millennium-old history up on a time lapse video would show innumerable businesses and characters flickering in and out of life, each one sculpting the communities in their own tiny way. If you squint, you'll see me. Look! I'm waving!

The Parade, in Parkgate, is an affluent road full of Tudor-esque houses and shops. It looks out to…read morethe hills of Wales and is famous for its ice cream and fish and chips. There probably isn't enough here to support a full day out but you can spend a good few hours walking and grab a bite in one of the local eateries. On a sunny day the attraction of Parkgate is obvious, the Parade is bustling with locals and tourists. If you fancy fish and chips for your lunch then it's worth heading to the Parkgate takeaway. The portions are tasty and well sized - a large one is enough for two people, if you want to share that is. It's easy to spot, just look out for the queue of hungry people eagerly anticipating their tasty treat. Parking on the Parade is sometimes an issue as it's so busy, but it's worth it.

Another addition to Liverpool's smorgasbord of…read moreplaces-that-would-be-lovely-if-it-wasn't-for-all-this-mankind-cluttering-up-the-place is the grotto that sits at the top end of the Lower Jordan watercourse. Built in 1870 by the awesomely-named, awesomely-jobbed and awesomely-French rockwork specialist M. Combaz, the set of Victorian caves, also called Old Nick's Caves used to be open to the public before decades of urine and litter made them nigh on uninhabitable. If I was the Sefton Park head honcho, what I would do to entice people back is to keep the caves locked up, but just install one hermit, as wealthy landowners once did. He could be ragged, tell riddles and be faintly mystical. Visitor attendance would soar, especially if he was called Mad Horatio.

I have to strongly agree with a former post on here that was written by a skype user..this was…read morewritten in 2009 and it is shocking to feel the same way five years later ...he writes ''Having recently visited the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port with a friend, I can certainly report that the various levels of advertising about the Museum are utterly false, which I have formally written to complain about. Importantly the Museum falsely advertises what a great place to visit, and continues to utilise a lot of extreme artistic licence in photos and text to promote the Museum. The 21st Century displays are mostly out of order. There were no volunteers in period costumes as promoted. On exhibit (the Stables) is empty and pointless. Other exhibits like the steam engines weren't working, with signs saying out of order. The Archive Centre was completely closed to the public. There are only few boats to be seen, and these are very rusty, dilapidated old barges that are water logged, mostly filled with debris and green slime.'' This place did feel like a ship graveyard and would make a good movie set for a ghost ship themed scene.. There were so many boats rotting on the sides, no actors in period costumes,,,half the buildings were closed off to public..and those that were open were just like walking in yours nans living room...which I can do that for free..The blacksmith was not even there,,but had left a catalogue with some of his works you could buy..which were great looking I have to say..so if you a fancy a lord of the rings themed gate,you know where to go.. The only redeeming feature that this place had was a 1000+ year old boat found from an archaeological dig (although the other boats looked like this) and the cafe..which sold cheap and cheerful homemade basics such as pies and jacket potatoes.. We paid £6.50 to get in...which didn't seem bad at the time...but I would save that money and go for a pint instead with Titanic playing in the background

The National Waterways Museum (once known as the Boat Museum) hosts a lovely waterside setting…read more The museum nestles on the banks of the Manchester ship canal and the Mersey in Ellsmere Port's fine Victorian canal docks. It's home to a remarkable collection of boats from inland waterways which include narrowboats, barges, ice breakers and much more. A memorable canal trip takes you through an industrial waterscape, which is rich in stories and wildlife. The tour allows you to look into the lives of boat people who travelled the canals and the families who lived and worked on the docks. There's plenty of space to let off steam, quiet corners for picnics and trails to follow which makes it a warm welcome for families. Visitor prices are reasonable, costing just £6 for an adult and £4 for a child (aged 5 to 16). Concessions are £5 and under 5's are free. As a whole, I would recommend this trip if you are interested in soaking up some local flavour as there is lots to see and do. With flotillas of historic boats and fascinating indoor displays, the National Waterways Museum is a great day whatever the weather.