Focus on Liverpool's Albert Dock:

Liverpool was European Capital of Culture for 2008

Liverpool is a city with a big personality, and it is renowned for the panoply of stars and personalities it has seen catapulted to national and international fame within living memory.

Among them would be John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Roger McGough and Ken Dodd.

OK, the 'King of Knotty Ash' aside, Liverpool has indeed cultivated a wide ranging pantheon of impressive talent throughout history, which has included a prime minister in the form of one William Ewart Gladstone and a plethora of merchants and shipping magnates - when it was in its prime.

Historically speaking, much of its ascendancy can be attributed to its succession as the leading north western port from the times of Charles I onwards.

Chester, 16 miles from Woodhey, had traditionally worn that mantle, but with the silting up of the River Dee, Liverpool became one of the major sea-faring ports within the nation, second only to London.

Controversially, much of its wealth was built on the proceeds of the international slave trade, which saw Liverpool-owned clippers, condemn tens of thousands of Africans to enforced servitude on plantations and estates with the US (from the end of the 17th century until mid 19th century).

Nevertheless, Liverpool ship-owners led the way in providing sea-front and docking facilities that were second to none during much of its 18th and 19th century hey-day.

In 1839 renowned engineer Jesse Hartley was commissioned to design and construct what is now Albert Dock, to allow sailing ships with cargoes of up to 1000 tonnes to unload their wares directly on to the quayside.

With rum, tobacco, spirits and cotton being among the most major imports, it was important for Liverpool to have secure warehousing an efficient unloading system (in the form of hydraulic cranes), which put it at the cutting edge of the technology available at the time.

Between 1824 and 1860 the available dock space was doubled to an amazing 1.25million square feet of floor space. This surrounded a quadrangle of water space that was said to be equal in size to that of London's Trafalgar Square.

Queen Victoria's husband and consort, Prince Albert officially opened the docks on 30 July 1846, and everyone agreed, that Liverpool was indeed at the centre of the transatlantic universe.

Not only was it a major centre for imports and exports, it also was a key destination for immigrants to Britain and to other far flung corners of the world. Records state that well over 9 million people passed through Liverpool's port en route to the Americas or new lives in the antipodes, for nigh on 100 years from 1830 onwards.

Liverpool is perhaps unique in having a very large population of Irish descent. In the mid-19th century at least 25 per cent of its population were Irish immigrants as they fled the after effects of the wide-ranging potato famines.

Many ventured forth to America, and were followed by many other nationalities. Many people of Welsh origin are also said to make up a major share of Liverpool's communities. And it has often been dubbed the unofficial capital of North Wales. This moniker is also more often than not, applied liberally to Chester aswell.

But as in most things, times of boom, are typically followed by depressions and recessions. And Liverpool could not perhaps of foreseen the length of time that it would be out in the economic wilderness.

What was once seen as a bright beacon of hope for shipping and commerce, soon became a sad remnant of a glorious and empirical past.

Albert Dock for all its majesty was just not suited to the new range of shipping vessels that came in to being during the latter half of the 19th century. The massive steam liners were just not able to dock and unload as sailing ships before them had done in their thousands.

In little over 50 years, just 7 per cent of the ships that once visited Liverpool now did so at the turn of the 20th century.

From the 1920s onwards, there was virtually no commercial shipping undertaken at these particular docks in Liverpool at all. Instead, they were used for warehousing purposes, and in turn gradually fell into what seemed an irreversible decline.

In spite of being granted Grade I listed building status in the post-war years, no-one seemed to know much what to do with this fascinating maritime landmark.

It was even mooted in the 60s that it should be totally demolished, once in 1960, and the other in 1966.

In 1972 Albert Dock was officially closed and it reflected Liverpool's sad and fading times as unemployment, vandalism and decay gripped the city.

It wasn't until the late 70s and early 80s that a new plan to revitalise Liverpool and this area was decided upon and put into action.

The architects, visionaries and builders moved in to create a truly remarkable complex of television studios, luxury apartments, retail outlets and restaurants.

With the addition of Tate Liverpool, several museums and a number of hotels, and the most recent Liverpool Echo Arena, the Albert Dock has now been truly transformed into a landmark fit for the 21st century.

With at least 4 million visitors a year, this World Heritage Site, has so many attractions, that surely several days would be required to cover them all and do them absolute justice.

There are now a total of four museums on site that cover everything from Liverpool's maritime past to its place in popular culture. (They include Tate Liverpool, The Beatles Story Experience, Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum - see below for more details)

In recent years, Liverpool is perhaps best known as the home town of the erstwhile 'Fab Four' also known as John, Paul, George and Ringo or collectively as The Beatles.

People can learn about the band's humble beginnings at a Woolton Village fete in the late 50s where a certain Paul McCartney met one John Lennon at the Beatles Story - a large slice of the Albert Dock dedicated solely to their memory. There are personal recorded recollections by individual band members about their collective rise to fame and glory.

Each phase of their spectacular career is chartered, right from their beginnings with a replica of the Cavern, to Beatlemania spreading across the world, and until their untimely break-up in the 70s.

Among the labyrinth of shops, apartments and restaurants, people can also wend their way to Tate Liverpool (at the Colonnades) where some truly amazing collections of modern and contemporary art can regularly be found.

Most recently, an inspiring exhibition of work by Viennese artist, Gustav Klimt was on show at the Tate to mark Liverpool's status as 2008's European Capital of Culture.

The autumn/winter season for 2008-2009 also promises works of a superlative nature and will include paintings such as Rodin's The Kiss and The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso. These among other outstanding collections of work will be shown until April 2009 under the DLA Piper Series, entitled: The Twentieth Century: How it looked and how it felt.

For those interested in a more nautical theme, then the Maritime Museum, promises an Aladdin's Cave of naval and oceanic delights.

With fantastic replicas of major vessels, and remnants from shipping's glorious past, people will unfailingly be captivated by the collections that pay tribute not just to Liverpool's maritime history, but to that of Britian's aswell.

Indeed, after taking a tour of one of the many museums, people may wish to browse the eclectic range of gifts and products on offer at the many retail outlets that feature in the new dock lay-out. From high quality woollens to hand-made trinkets for the home, most people should find something to suit their respective pockets and tastes.

People can eat alfresco at one of the many restaurants and cafes and gaze at one of the miniature clippers or tug boats that now rest within the inner sanctum of the dock's water-filled quadrangle.

Or perhaps, they would prefer to take a stroll along the shore line and gaze out to sea across the Mersey to Wirral and beyond.

Whatever you're preconceptions or misconceptions about Liverpool, people should unfailingly be won over by the superbly executed renovations.

The rejuvenated dockland juts out proudly along the Liverpool skyline and sit perhaps fittingly next to the Three Graces, or other buildings that bear testimony to Liverpool's pioneering commercial past. They include the Liver Building, Port of Liverpool Building and the Cunard Building.

Interestingly the 90m high Liver Building possesses two giant birds, supposedly cormorants, that either gaze out to sea, or look inland towards Liverpool. Legend has it that if the birds ever flew away, the city of Liverpool would cease to exist. As a result, both birds are said to be shackled to the domes to ensure they are an enduring presence.

When staying at Woodhey, it's certainly worth the journey across the Mersey to see how Liverpool has defied its critics, and taken its rightful place again among the pantheon of Britain's greatest cities.

Summary of Attractions

The Beatles Story Experience

Britannia Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Tel: 0151 707 0729 Website: www.beatlestory.com

The Maritime Museum

Quayside, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Tel: 0151 707 0729 Website: www.albertdock.com

International Slavery Museum

Quayside, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Tel: 0151 707 0729 Website: www.albertdock.com

Tate Liverpool

The Colonnades, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Tel: 0151 707 0729 Website: www.albertdock.com or www.tate.org.uk

The Albert Dock Slideshow