England has plenty of trainspotters, but when you live in Liverpool, people get excited about the ships and boats that come to call. Friday saw plenty of people out (myself included) to catch a glimpse of the luxurious Cunard Queen Mary 2 cruise ship that was docked for a few hours. It's BIG! I would have loved to have seen the inside.
But small boats are just as enticing. Also in Liverpool this past weekend was the first visit of the Wool Boat! How cool is this? A retired couple bought a canal barge and have spent the last four years sailing up and down the country. She's a knitter and decided to start a little business from her boat. I can truly say this is the smallest yarn shop I've ever been in, but I got a lovely warm welcome, a good chat and ended up purchasing a lovely skein of watery coloured wool.
While I was down at Salthouse Dock buying wool, I thought I would inspect these boat hotels moored at the other end. I think they would be quite fun to stay in with a group of friends. The one on the right is the Yellow Submarine dedicated to the Beatles of course, and the one on the left has caused a bit of controversy. It's based on the Titanic as it is sinking and some feel it's in bad taste (not far away is the building that housed the White Star offices where crowds gathered to discover news of survivors and many of the crew were from Liverpool). I think it's a bit too dinky to in any way suggest a replica (and I don't like the interiors much) and I'm not sure if it's any more offensive than the tons of Titanic "souvenirs" on sale - some more tacky than others - at the Maritime Museum.
With its huge maritime history, many of the city's buildings are designed to look like ships. This black glass office building is not to everyone's taste, but I love it. Especially on a sunny day when it reflects the nearby Mersey.
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