If you glance up at the side of the buildings and pubs on some of Merseyside's streets, you'll find bright and vibrant murals - all with stories behind them.
As a creative region, it's hardly surprising the region has become a popular places for artists to paint their murals. Places like the Baltic and Bold Street have become especially popular.
But street art has also become an important part of the regeneration of areas like New Brighton and Anfield, with artwork as far as the eye can see in these areas. Just this year we have had many new additions decorating our streets.
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These are can be found in places such as Birkenhead, Tranmere and Toxteth. Here are some of the stunning murals in Merseyside that have popped on buildings so far this year.
'Pool of Life' mural
The 'Pool of Life' was revealed on July 7. Famed street artist Smug has created the spectacular, large-scale new mural on Harrington Street, near one of the oldest and most creative neighbourhoods in Liverpool, the Cavern Quarter.
The mural has been co-commissioned by Culture Liverpool and Liverpool BID Company on behalf of the Beatles Legacy Group to explore the extraordinary history of the area. The Cavern Quarter is one of the oldest commercial districts in the city centre. Once home to an iron foundry, brewery and mills, it became home to the fruit and produce markets selling goods as they came from the nearby docks.
The location shot to fame in the 60s as the backdrop of Liverpool's thriving music scene, before becoming the centre of the city's ground-breaking and culturally defining counterculture of the 70s and 80s. The mural, by Glasgow based artist Sam Bates aka Smug, alludes to the area's layered history, drawing on well known names like Eric's and The Cavern which attract tourists from across the world.
It also highlights the city's rich and varied architecture, commerce and trade which made up Jung's 'Pool of Life'. The 1927 essay by Jung was judged to be describing a place "into which many streets converged", as Mathew Street and Rainford Square in the Cavern Quarter do.
Poet and artist Peter O'Halligan, who founded the Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun on the site of the former Fruit Exchange warehouse on Victoria Street, popularised the use of the phrase in the 70s to describe the neighbourhood. In 2012, a plaque to mark Jung's 'Pool of Life' was unveiled nearby.
'Home Is Where You Feel Safe'
This artwork on St James Mission Hall, Windsor Street, was designed by Brazilian artist Liam Bononi and commissioned by the charity Bridge2. The charity, which is based in the building, offer a range of different support services and workshops to refugees, asylum seekers and local community.
Liam, 28, told the ECHO: "They invited me to paint that mural and try to represent the stories of people who use the services in the building. I did seven meetings before I started creating the design to know more about them and these stories, and how they came to the UK; their goals, what they want to reach, their dreams."
Following the meetings, Liam started to design the mural, called 'Home Is Where You Feel Safe', on April 15. It is set to be officially unveiled on Friday, May 6 as part of the launch of the Metamorphosis exhibition at Gallery 1889 on Windsor Street.
Liam, originally from Brazil, moved to Liverpool three years ago because of its thriving art scene. His other works in the city include a 50ft mural on one side of the Wedding House building, in Great George Place, and murals of Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Alan Kennedy in Anfield.
Charlie Landsborough
Renowned Liverpool artist Paul Curtis painted a new mural of country music legend Charlie Landsborough on the side of Birkenhead North station back in May.
Charlie won the "immortalised" spot on the wall by beating Dixie Dean and Birkenhead's first female mayor, Lady Mary Ann Mercer, in a poll of local residents. The "celebration of the passion, talent, resilience and creativity that has come out of the North End" was organised by Cradle to Career, a project by the charity Right to Succeed, that works with government and community organisations to improve quality of life by "creating new opportunities for local children and young people" in Birkenhead.
The 2.5m tall and 5m wide mural depicts Charlie who grew up in Birkenhead North and taught at primary school on Portland Road, near the station. The Birkenhead singer is a huge country star in the USA, but struggled for three decades, working as a teacher while writing songs and performing, before achieving success.
Nelson Mandela tribute mural
Artist John Culshaw's mural of the ex South African President on a building in Toxteth, in Liverpool 8 is accompanied by one of Mandela’s quotes. The piece, commissioned by Mandela8, took John seven days to complete back in April on the side of the Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre (KIMC). John told the ECHO : "About four of them were painting the wall green. The actual artwork took three days and I hate when anyone asks me to write on a piece, I'm not good at that, I'm better at faces."
John said: "Mandela for me is a legend. I grew up in a boxing household, so we didn't play football, we boxed and sort of the way my dad brought us up was Muhammad Ali, he was the pinnacle of our household. I see them sort of the same figure fighting for the same rights.
"Before I knew who Nelson Mandela was I knew Muhammad Ali and I knew what he fought for and that has always been sort of a link for me, especially for this piece. That's what made it so important for me to try to get it just right and also pick out the right quote and the right image."
"Putting them two together was important for me and for (Mandela8 Ambassador) Nze as well. Me and Nze worked on that together to find the right image to match them both. We wanted to show him thinking to tie it in with the word knowledge that is in the quote. To make it all seem like one whole piece".
He added: "Nelson Mandela is a man who has given so much to humanity and in fighting so hard to abolish apartheid, showed the world that the only way forward is equality. I hope the people of the community and visitors who see this mural, will take away a sense of the man and an understanding of his wise words."
Ringo Starr mural
The Empress pub in Toxteth is set to be transformed into a Beatles themed hotel, complete with a mural of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr on the side of the building. The pub, on High Park Street, is located close to the childhood home of Ringo Starr.
The pub is a destination for Beatles fans taking in the city, with tourists frequently visiting the L8 landmark. This is due to The Empress appearing on the cover of Ringo's first solo album 'Sentimental Journey' which was released in March 1970.
Artist John Culshaw told the ECHO : "I love painting The Beatles - I am a big fan of them. I think as well as changing the world of music and becoming idols, they have left their city with an industry that people can earn a crust from and really put Liverpool on the world map."
Sir Kenny Dalglish
Paul Curtis created the artwork dedicated to Sir Kenny Dalglish, which is located on The Kop End bar on Oakfield Road near Anfield. The artwork features Dalglish in his playing days at Liverpool, with the home kit from the 1983/84 season used as the inspiration.
The artwork was created unveiled back in January this year. As well as Dalglish, other notable Liverpool figures to have murals around Anfield dedicated in their honour by other artists include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Jurgen Klopp.
Ian Rush
Liverpool’s all-time record goalscorer, who netted 346 times in 660 appearances for the Reds, was present at Anfield for the reveal back in May. The mural is on Anfield Road, facing Liverpool’s stadium and is yards away from the Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henerson murals.
The artwork was created by street artists MurWalls and features a close-up of Rush’s face along with another image of his iconic celebration, along with detail about his time at the club, including his status as the club’s all-time top scorer. Rush signed the mural to add the finishing touches to a piece that took three days to complete.
Rush won 20 trophies during 15 years at Anfield, including a famous treble in 1984. His 660 appearances put him sixth on Liverpool’s all-time appearance holders and the former striker was delighted at the artwork which now adorns the surrounding area of Anfield.
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