Moving ‘over the water’ from Liverpool to Wirral is a very common path in Merseyside.
Whether it’s due to getting a job there, spotting a nice house or simply fancying a change, many of us have made the journey to the so-called paradise peninsula and it’s not hard to see why. Wirral boasts some of Merseyside’s best parks, schools and beaches.
It also boasts good transport links to Liverpool, Chester and north Wales. While there are many things to boast about living in Wirral, there are a fair few frustrations too.
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Here is a round up of things likely to happen when you make the journey.
Everyone being baffled by your accent
I moved to Wirral from Liverpool when I was two years old, meaning my scouse accent got firmly distorted. Much of my family refers to me as the ‘posh one’ in the family.
However, I’ve met others who say I sound as scouse as they come. The most common refrain from people outside Merseyside is that I ‘sort of’ sound like I’m from Liverpool.
I’ve had other people ask if I’m Welsh. Scousers however tend to keep it simple and call me a wool.
Spending every weekend in Liverpool anyway
Despite moving away from Liverpool, it’s common to spend most your free time there anyway. Whether it’s to go shopping, the football or nights out, Liverpool still feels at the centre of your universe, making you question why you moved away in the first place.
Getting angry when realising the Birkenhead Tunnel is closed
For those living in east Wirral areas such as Birkenhead, Bromborough Eastham, the Birkenhead (or Queensway) Tunnel is a life saver. Coming out right onto the A41 can get you home very quickly. This makes it even more frustrating when it unexpectedly closes overnight for maintenance, forcing you to take the much longer route Wallasey (Kingsway) Tunnel route down the seemingly endless M53.
The pain of getting a taxi after a night out
Getting a taxi after a night out is never straightforward, but a journey home over the Mersey takes the biscuit. Some taxi drivers are unwilling to pay the toll and inevitably have to go back to Liverpool to pick up a job.
While desperate to get home, someone will likely joke about walking home through one of the tunnels. As confirmed by the ECHO in the past, this is not allowed by Merseytravel and you could be stopped by police if you do so.
Arguments about whether it’s called Wirral or the Wirral
Do you live in Wirral, on Wirral, in the Wirral or on the Wirral? It’s a technical debate that rages on daily.
Wirral Council themselves have previously weighed on this continuous topic. A spokesman said in 2014: “Our take on it is that ‘in Wirral’ refers to the place - the borough of Wirral - whereas ‘on Wirral’ refers to Wirral as the geographical peninsula.”
In short, ‘in Wirral’ refers to the area ran by Wirral Council, while ‘on Wirral’ includes Neston. Despite this, when the ECHO asked readers from the area at the time, a whopping 73% said that they live on THE Wirral.
Arguments about whether Ellesmere Port counts as Wirral
Within all this, the town of Ellesmere Port is another geographical conundrum. Although it is a town in its own right, some living there claim it’s part of Wirral either sincerely or for ease in conversation.
Ellesmere Port is in the Wirral Peninsula, but unlike Neston, Wirral is not included in house addresses. It has never been ran by Wirral Council, and is currently governed by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
People from Liverpool acting like it’s an enormous journey to get to
When speaking to someone from Liverpool, Wirral often appears like a far flung journey into the unknown. In reality, most areas are fairly straightforward to get to by car or public transport.
No one outside of Merseyside understanding Wirral
I went to university in Manchester with the noble aim of telling people I was from Wirral. I quickly gave up on this as nobody outside of Merseyside had a clue what I was on about.
This confusion was summed up in a Facebook post by a University of Sheffield student back in 2018. The post read: “What’s the thing with the place, Wirral. Am I the only one who’d never heard of it before Uni? Why are so many people from there?
The anonymous poster continued: “Why is it that you're ON THE Wirral instead of IN Wirral? Why does everyone have different accents (literally half the people have 0 accent and half are scouse as hell).”
Constantly thinking about moving back to Liverpool
As an exiled scouser the longing to move back can be strong. My family are all back in Liverpool now and I couldn't be happier. But while city life has its benefits, so does Wirral, from the leafy suburban areas to stunning sites of natural beauty.
Just don’t expect to stop being called a wool anytime soon.
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