Students enjoy free tour of Lark Lane and Sefton Park
In My Liverpool Home is a scheme run by LiverpoolSU whereby students from different areas of Liverpool will take other students on a guided tour of ‘their area’. Our first tour was taken of the Lark Lane and Sefton Park area on the 30th of November lead by Michelle.
Students got to enjoy a stroll down one of Liverpool’s most historic streets finding out what it used to look like and why the Empress of Ethiopia lived there during the Second World War. The walk was filled with interesting stories including the spooky tale of Florence Maybrick, imprisoned in Lark Lane’s police station during the Victorian era and rumoured to be the wife of Jack the Ripper. Some even believe she is still there!
The tour then moved onto Sefton Park where Michelle explained to students the history behind its man-made lakes, caves and the famous Palm House, modelled on the one in London. Built in 1896, it has withstood the blitz of 1941 and today is host to a range of exotic plants. A gift to Liverpool from Henry Yates Thompson, it is certainly an experience everyone enjoyed!
Summer, a student who went on the tour said: “I really enjoyed learning about all the outdoor spaces available in Liverpool because it is nice to escape the city life without having to travel very far. Also, I found the historical information really interesting and the tour guide really knew her stuff! Plus I love finding hidden gems like little local cafe's and eateries so taking a walk down Lark Lane was really interesting.”
Michelle the tourguide also enjoyed the day: "Leading the 'In My Liverpool Home' tour at the weekend was an absolute pleasure. I was made up with how many students turned out and it was lovely to see how interested they were in experiencing different parts of my city as well as learning about the history behind some of our wonderful landmarks. I had an altogether fantastic day. Thanks to LiverpoolSU too, for enabling a great day to happen, with lovely and interesting students!"
Remember to check the website for free future tours!
If you are interested in joining us for our next tour or are interested in taking a tour of your part of Liverpool, please contact j.mcdonald@ljmu.ac.uk
