What's up guys? Welcome back to Vagabrothers. Right now we are exploring Liverpool. In this episode, we're going to learn how Liverpool became one of the most prosperous cities in the British Empire, the pop capital of the world and the leader in the cultural renaissance sweeping the north of England. Let's hit it.
We got in pretty late last night from the Lake District. I had my fair share of coffee this morning, but it doesn't really seem to be doing anything. Just right off the bat, I'm blown away with the architecture. The architecture is awesome.
It's got like a clean Gotham City feel to it.
There you are. There must have been a big party night last night. There's literally no one here. Ready to do this? I guess so.
What's on the plate for today? Well we're starting off the day here in the water front because the whole city really came up as a port. So the story starts here. But first up, we're going to hop on this psychedelic ferry take a journey across the Mersey.
Let's go. If you're not from the U.K. and you've heard of Liverpool is most probably in the context of its four most famous sons: the Beatles. So right now we're staying in front of the Mersey ferry.
Mersey is the river on which the city was built, and this ferry was recently repainted by Sir Peter Blake, who was the artist who designed Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Brigade hence the trippy colors all over the side. It's the snow drop, but I like to call it the Trip Ship. Are you ready? Let's do it.
It's a pretty cool way to see the city. The Mersey River is really what made this place what it is. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution connected Liverpool to Leeds through a canal system and that the British Empire opened up the Americas for trade that Liverpool really began to thrive and prosper and became one of the richest cities in the British Empire, through what was called the Triangle Trade.
Basically the slave trade between England, West Africa, and the Caribbean sugar plantations. We're going to head over to the docks and learn more about the history of how Liverpool came to be what it is today. We've just arrived at the Mersey side maritime museum, which is located in the Albert Dock.
The Albert Docks was nearly 8 acres of wetland docks, and it's really what built the city a couple hundred years ago. It was a foundation for all the trade that came here and really allowed Liverpool to kind of blossom. We're going to head inside and find out why.
Seeing that international slavery exhibit in the Mersey Maritime Museum was pretty harrowing. It must have been so.......I don't know. I can't even begin to vlog about it.
It's horrible. It's crazy. It certainly puts into perspective a lot of the history of the area.
We were recently in Jamaica, which was one of the other corners of the Triangle Trade. When European empires set up colonies in the Americas, one of the most profitable crops was sugar. So in order to farm sugar, they brought about a total of 15 million Africans over from West Africa to work in those plantations.
Ten percent of all known African slaves came through the city of Liverpool during that time. We learned about the Industrial Revolution in Leeds, and I guess one way to look at it is that during that time there was so much change, so much rush for making money, and I think it was probably intoxicating for a lot of people. And I think that craze: to get more and more and more people were able to see other people as commodities that you bought and sold on the international market.
We're going to lighten things up a little bit. One of the other things that happened in this city was piracy. We're going right over here to a place called Smugglers Cove Smugglers is to hide contraband over here.
So we're going to go over to Smugglers Cove and get a little bit of lunch. Yar har hardy flar Yar Well moving forward in time we arrive to the 1960s when Liverpool became the world capital of pop. And pretty much, that is because of four famous Liverpudlians.
You may know them: the Beatles. But it was not just the Beatles. In total I think there were five four number one billboard hits that came from Liverpool based bands.
So we're here at the docks going into the Beatles Story, which is an interactive exhibit. And then we're going to go on a tour the see places that the Beatles.....Penny Lane Strawberry Fields and then... yeah all right. Beatles time.
I've actually just been told that Liverpudlian could be mistaken for a person who actually supports the football team Scouser is the word for somebody from Liverpool. So we've got four Scousers here. And the accent is notoriously difficult, so I will refrain from trying to imitate it.
It should be stated that the original You Tube fan girl was Beatle mania. Slight correction. First fan girls were for Elvis because without Elvis, there would be no Beatles.
We've just finished a quick walk through of the Beatles story. What a crazy story. The band that started playing stripclubs in Hamburg, Germany and then just this sky rocket to international super stardom.
And then, you know, the split up of the band. John Lennon's assassination. It is like this very unique story in the history of rock and roll and one that has imprinted itself on countless people's lives.
I want to ask you guys. What's your favorite Beatle's song or your favorite Beatle's album? My favorite album? Probably Rubber Soul. Favorite song? Across the Universe.
I really like the song, Norwegian Wood, and I really enjoy the White Album. Unfortunately, they broke up. I don't know, Yoko.
Yoko, I'm looking at you. It's over, Bro. Neither of us has found our Yoko yet, so the Vagabrothers remain intact.
Anyways, we're going to go right now on a tour to where the Beatle's got their inspiration. So we'll be visiting the actual Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields. Any Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Bro? It's a bit too out there.
Ahh All right. So we're at Penny Lane, THE Penny Lane Sometimes we have to be tourists. Today we're being tourist.
I know there's a lot more to Liverpool than just the Fab Four, but we are paying homage to these musical greats. Hello. I wonder how many people have been hit by cars here, taking selfies? Probably quite a few In the year 2000, the blue placard on the wall.
Now there's no blue placard of George's, why? You have to be dead for twenty years to get a blue placard Now in 2002, Yoko Ono actually bought the house and gave it to the National Trust. It's pretty crazy seeing where all these guys came from. All the Beatles were born during WWII, came from middle class families in suburban Liverpool.
It's really just the combination of all four characters that made it happen. There's a million neighborhoods like this around the world where people have talent, waiting to go express it. Maybe you guys out there watching are the next Beatles.
Who knows? Crazy thing just happened. So we were walking and saw this guy pick pocketing another guy. So we stopped and told him.
Marko put down his bag, chased after the guy. Ends up they're doing a social experiment to see if people react. Most people don't say anything when they see someone get robbed.
The guy whom I just video taped just walked past and did nothing. Alex did get robbed a couple years ago, and he actually chased the guy down and took the wallet back. It was my camera.
Yeah. We were in Madrid. So pick pocketers, you guys suck.
And people don't be bystanders. Take action. We're on our way to the Baltic Triangle.
We'll tell you more about that there. We're heading down to the Baltic Triangle, which is essentially a neighborhood that they're trying to reinvest in so that it becomes, basically, a start up hub for digital start ups. Right now there are tons of text start ups video game designer companies all moving there.
And they're trying to make it an alernative to Shoreditch, which is where a lot of the start ups are based here in the U.K. We're going to go check out Camp and Furnace, which is a restaurant in that neighborhood which is supposed to be a pretty good place for a drink and a meal. All right we just got two pizzas.
It's a pretty cool place because not only is it a bar but a music venue, and they also have a big room with a bunch of different restaurants. Espresso martini. That is so good.
Come, come, Mr Bond. We know you enjoy espresso martini as much as I do. Well guys, we've just scratched the surface Of Liverpool.
There's a lot more to see in the city, but we only have one day left in our trip. So we're going to go to Manchester tonight and spend the next day soaking up Manchester, finish up the trip on a strong note. Soaking it up like travel sponges.
Well guys, if you enjoyed that video, you know what to do: give it a thumbs up, share it with your friends, and subscribe to Vagabrothers, if you have not already. And in the meantime, stay curious, keep exploring, and we'll see you guys on the road. Peace.
More specifically, Manchester. Hasta luego. Where are we? Lunch common.
Common food, beer. Uncommonly good, though. Let's go