Liverpool
Trip Start
Nov 20, 2006
1
8
18
Trip End
Dec 14, 2006
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
We had a wonderful scenic bus drive from the ferry port in Wales through to Liverpool. We drove past Mt Snowdon (it was covered in clouds)and followed the coastline around.It was good to finally meet the coach that we will have right through until London (no more shifting Hockey stick bags!). We arrived in Crosby at around 3.30pm to meet our next hosts - Merchant Taylor's School.
Today we went to the Beatles Museum at Albert Docks. Many of the girls enjoyed learning more about the impact that the Beatles made on the music scene here in Liverpool and around the world. It is a fantastic interactive display and most of the girls came out saying ' I finally understand what the Beatles were about'. After the Docks we walked up into the centre of Liverpool (past the Liver birds) for a quick look around (and some more shopping for some!)
We went out to the Northern Astroturf pitch for the Hockey Game v Merchant Taylors School. It is a beautiful ground set out amongst the green cricket fields and cute clubrooms. The game was played in four 15min quarters. It was a tight first quarter Merchant Taylor's scored 3 goals in the second and third quarters. KB, Gill, Megan and Maree made some amazing saves in the backline which included one right on the goal line that Megan cleared out to the side. The game finished in the dark and the final score was 5-0 to Merchant Taylor's way. The Toorak team is improving every game which isn't reflected in the scores. The girls are really happy with the way that they are now working together as a team and the corresponding confidence in their individual stickwork (hockey talk!)
We (the Staff) had to dissapear quite quickly after the game as we had scored corporate tickets to the game at Anfield. The home games are always sold out well in advance so we felt very privelidged to be part of the action. We had dinner in the Champions Room before the game and then walked into the stadium that was full to capacity (50,000). It was great to hear the songs and to watch the Liverpool banner slowly make it's way up ' the Kop' to the singing of 'Never Walk Alone' . It was an awesome game with a 0-0 final score. PHOTO_ID_R=liverpool_and_hereford_040.jpg]
We went for a tour of the Liverpool Football club ground - Anfield. The tour took the girls through the changerooms down the players race (which includes the "This is Anfield sign which they touch for luck) and then out on the playing area (not the grass pitch. The group sat in the managers areas and then moved into the legendary Kop end of the ground. The Kop used to be the standing area of the group where spectators were packed into a small area. During the game that we watched - this was the end of the ground that moved a large Liverpool Football Club flag over the heads of the spectators to the sound of "Never Walk Alone' - it was spine tingling!and then back to school for the Netball games.
The Netball girls played both Merchant Taylor's School (the B Team) and Sacred Heart College (the A Team). Great Games with Toorak winning both games.
On the day that we were leaving we were due to depart Liverpool at 9.00am. One of the mothers called to say that her car had broken down and as she was a long way out (with Eliza and Izzy in the car) the group went down to the beach to have a look at the Another Place Exhibition. This was a travelling exhibition of sculptures placed to look as if they were walking out to sea (heading out to America). Apparently some days you go down to the exhibition and the local scousers have dressed them up in workmen's outfits or placed newspapers under their arms. This day is was all as they were intended and looked a spectacular site.
