STEAM ON THE DOCK
A Family Day Out To The Steam On The Dock Festival In Liverpool
I have to say that this wouldn’t be my first choice for a day out but the third annual Steam On The Dock Festival in Liverpool proved me wrong and we all had a fun time at the Albert Dock.
It is lovely to see how far Liverpool has come in the last 18 years. When I first visited way back in 2000, I was struck by how much dereliction there was. Liverpool had been in decline since the end of the second world war and although Liverpudlians (or Scousers) were still very proud of their city it is safe to say that nobody else was. When my husband and I were living in Korea, from time to time we would meet other Brits. Whenever my husband told them he was from Liverpool (not strictly true, he is half Scouse but born in Wales and lived just outside Liverpool for most of his young life), they would look at him with pity and then change the conversation. I saw it happen on a number of occasions.
That has all changed now. Liverpool has transformed itself (with help from EU money, telling as Scousers voted to remain in the Brexit referendum) and is now one of the most vibrant cities in the UK. Not just a place that milks their Beatles history any more, Liverpool is full of world class museums, art galleries, architecture and sports and events facilities. The rejuvenated Liverpool 1 shopping centre has revamped the city centre and the fashionable Baltic Triangle area has transformed from a bunch of derelict warehouses into the new Creative and Digital Quarter full of great places to eat and drink. With the promising Ten Streets development nearly ready on the other side of the city and major redevelopments of the two football stadiums on the way, Liverpool’s rise from the ashes looks set to continue long into the future.
I’d never heard of the Steam On The Dock festival until my brother-in-law mentioned that he was taking his four year there and that we should join him. My sister was visiting from Chelmsford and we wanted to check out Baltic Market Farmers Market so it seem like the perfect opportunity to check out the Steam On The Dock festival while we were there. After eating our lunch at Baltic Market we walked over to the Albert Dock (about 10-15 minutes depending on how fast your kids walk). It was jam packed with all kinds of steam engines and street food. Like I said, well worth a visit.
Steam Engines are not a popular hobby in Korea. I had no idea there were so many left in the world. There were mini ride-along versions of steam trains and steam rollers along side their full size versions, steam tug boats and even steam organs. The kids had a great time exploring the boats. They even had a tall ship (not steam powered) that you could board for a donation with a treasure chest of pirate outfits for the kids to dress up. My three year old thoroughly enjoyed himself in a pirate hat and a plastic cutlass.
VALENCIA PART 1: SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE (CHOCOLATE A LA ESPAÑOLA)
The steam engines weren’t the only entertainment on offer. There was a lovely carousel and plenty of old fashioned street entertainers too. The one man band and his spoon playing accomplice were the stand out. 😂😍 My daughter was amazed by the amount of instruments he could play at the same time.
I would definitely recommend the Steam On The Dock festival the next time it comes to town. Well worth a visit and it’s free too!
