This little newsagents is not too far from the station, and thus convenient for your travelling…read moresnack and drink needs. I always need a cold drink when I'm out and about walking, especially in the summer, so I love that there are so many newsagents, even seemingly in the middle of nowhere. They are fairly limited in their reading material, but still, they provide the basics. I also noticed that this particular newsagents sold some charity shop items in the front window. Not something you see every day.

Royal Albert Dock is one of the nicer parts of Liverpool city centre, with the old dock buildings…read morealong the river, consisting of many bars and restaurants including Miller and Carter, Lunyalita and Revolution. It is one of the most visited multi-use attractions in the country outside of London, and the collection of buildings (docks, warehouses) is the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK. It can be a nice, relaxing place to have a walk around, getting away from the busy main parts of the city. I do think it could be laid out better with some signage and notes to the historic past, but I do understand there are some limitations in making changes due to the listed building status. 4* - A pretty cool and historic part of Liverpool city centre

The Albert docks are historical and have now been modernised and preserved to offer a plethora of…read morenice restaurants, shops and some museums, one of which is the tate, and the Maritime Museum and also the International Slave Museum. Here is some history about the docks - "Liverpool's docks dominated global trade by the early 19th century. When it opened in 1846, Albert Dock changed the way the docks worked here forever. Its warehouses were fireproof and secure; traders could do deals before their import taxes were due; hydraulic cranes hauled heavy cargoes across the flagstones. The speed with which ships unloaded and turned around was cut in half." Definitely a worthy and must see stop when you visit Liverpool.

Menkind is a little shop full of little gadgets and the perfect store for his gifts! The store…read moreranges from a variety of electronic items for novelty fun and some stuff educational; for example, I saw a hovering toy UFO in front of my very eyes and my word did it look so convincing yet this was no illusion; in fact, this was due to the laws of physics and electromagnetism as I knew from my studies! Well, I have actually learnt something unique and interesting from my days back at school!! The products are generally suitable for all ages from infants to adults and sells popular games and boys toys. This store is quite inviting to the eye and ideal for buying gifts for little and big boys!

I'm always wary of the kinds of 'big kids toys' places like Menkind sell and the sort of arrested…read moredevelopment they seem to encourage; we're breeding a country of man-children more interested in tinkering with polystyrene remote-controlled helicopters or playing around with miniature foozball tables than they are with trying to support their families. It's a serious problem. I'm seriously super-serious. As well as all those sort of easy stocking fillers and birthday gifts - beer glass cufflinks, Rocky bathrobes and Top Gear related memorabilia - there is a small selection of overpriced watches by Police and some far stranger items including the BBQ branding kit - "The BBQ Branding Iron makes customizing food from the outdoor grill easy" - I always fancied branding my meat before but it would have just been too difficult, thank the lord those days of eating meat without words seared into them are over. Fun for a look around but does anybody really want or need any of the stuff in here? Well, except the crossbow. I desperately need that.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery owes its existence to the fortune amassed by the 1st Lord Leverhulme…read morefrom his soap and detergents business, better known to us as Lever Bros. Lord Leverhulme actually began purchasing art in the late 19th century to advertise his 'Sunlight' soap brand, and from this commercial beginning he developed a substantial collection of British 18th and 19th century art, an extensive collection of ceramics (including Classical items as well as early Wedgwood), tapestries and antique furniture. The gallery itself was built in 1922 in memory of Leverhulme's wife. Set in the lovely surroundings of Port Sunlight village - itself an example of enlightened philanthropy, as it was built to provide high quality housing for Leverhulme's workers - the gallery is small, but the quality of the exhibits is high. The paintings include items by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Stubbs, Turner and Constable, and a substantial number of pre-Raphaelite works, with pictures by Leighton, Millais, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Holman-Hunt. The ceramics include an outstanding collection of Wedgwood, high quality items of Chinese porcelain from the Ming, Qing and Kangxi periods, and Roman and Greek sculptures and vases. Other collections include some late mediaeval tapestries and English furniture from the 16th-19th centuries, considered the definitive period of fine English cabinet-making. The gallery has a small cafe and surprisingly good provision for children, including an 'artbase' trolley containing lots of materials for dressing up and drawing, and a selection of children's work sheets and gallery trails. The site is a short walk from Bebington railway station on the Merseyrail network (14 minutes from Liverpool Central, trains every 15 minutes), and has ample car parking on site. It makes for a delightful afternoon excursion from Liverpool, and admission is free.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings but also has other…read moreoutstanding collections. It is named after Lever's wife, and is based in Port Sunlight on the Wirral. Interesting fact: Lever built Port Sunlight village to house his workers. It houses a great collection of paintings as well as furniture, Chinese collections, tapestries, sculpture, Wedgwood and classical antiquities in a beautiful building. There are several rooms, centred around the main hall. The paintings on display include pieces by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Stubbs, Turner, Millais, Rossetti, Holman Hunt and Waterhouse. The gallery also includes a restaurant where the cakes are delicious and soup looks lovely.

I was so excited to see that Liverpool had a Tate branch because I'm very aware of the London…read morelocation. It was so convenient that most of the museums were directly across the street from our Hilton hotel. This location is perfect most of the tourist spots were dotted all along the dock area here! It was a rainy day too so we were so lucky to be so close. After London we were so weary of cabs even though the most of the cabs are those vintage large black ones where your luggage can go at your feet. Most of the museums have had a donation box near the entrance/exit areas. This is smart because I definitely gave more on some occasions when we were thrilled with the exhibits. I actually tend to give more at the end of a visit instead of upfront. Some places ask straight away and some have a collection box near the exits. I think people are more generous after enjoying the museum fully. There were many beautiful exhibits inside. Many works associated with a "color" theme throughout the museum. I was very surprised to find pieces by Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso inside. Actually I had never seen this piece by Pablo and I loved it! His work is so different with each decade his style changed and evolved. If you travel to Liverpool I would highly suggest staying at the Hilton, all the museums are just a few blocks ahead to the port. Loved this Tate!

I was so excited to visit the Tate museum to see the Don McCullin exhibition that I had booked well…read morein advance. Don McCullin is a photographer that takes photos of war and famine and poverty, my type of photos of things that are real and hard hitting and it certainly didn't disappoint. The photos I saw were powerful and thought provoking and sometimes disturbing and I left in awe. The Tate museum and gallery in Liverpool is fantastic and well worth a visit put this on your itinerary.

Proper Liverpool institution is Home Bargains. Probably not something to shout about but…read moreconsidering Tom Morris started out by inheriting a very modest family business and turning HB into a multi million pound nationwide chain is nothing to sneer at. Cheap and cheerful is the motto - not officially but I'm guessing it's what it would be - as 'top brands at bargain prices' is the name of the game. I can't say that I have been to any HB much bigger than this store but HB's are not somewhere to do your weekly shop but more a place to get daily essentials.

I would reckon that Home Bargains is a place most people will have shopped some time or another…read more For me, I frequently shop there anyway. It is a store filled with top brands at bottom prices and the variety of basic home essentials, canned and quick snacks they sell makes it an ideal source where you can buy general everyday items. Sometimes you can get away without having to go to the bigger stores as you can often find cheaper prices and get better value for money here. After all, it is really home and bargain! The service at each till is often busy but efficient and staff will put all your items into a carrier bag, so you don't have to. You can always trust this place and you can't really go wrong.

Such a great shop, situated right by Chester Cathedral! It's the sort of place I would normally…read morewalk past and not pay any attention to, but having stopped once with my parents I was surprised about how much beautiful glassware there is! They have a large selection of display pieces that can easily be £500, however there is also a great deal of Scandinavian glassware that is affordable and great for wedding presents and special birthdays. Infact you can even find interesting gifts for as little as £12. The staff are really friendly and helpful too. Worth popping in!

HMV in Speke isn't bad for a relatively small store. It's only one floor, but they make the most of…read morethe space. I mainly go there to check out the DVDs, and they usually have a wide selection, with some good offers in the sales section at the front. I like it because it's open late (9 or 10pm, I think) and it's handy to tie it in with a visit to Borders bookstore, which is just a few doors down.

I have been to Bold Street and Liverpool One's branches of HMV, and compared with them, this is a…read morevery impressive store. The layout is easier to understand, and the lighting is better than Bold Street, maybe because it's a fairly new store like Liverpool One. It's a large square shape in terms of interiors and they have an impressive variety and volume of stock for a relatively small branch. The stuff in their 2 for £10 on CDs (an ongoing thing all year round) is better than a lot of what you can find in their shops in town and their staff are more helpful and friendly as well. It's not too far from town; about 30 mins on the 82 or 86 bus services. They also have a lot more stock out the back and things you may not realise such as they do still sell CD walkmans, so always ask!!