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Liverpool Echo

Entertainment

Jess Flaherty

Quirky facts Eurovision visitors should know about Liverpool

Eurovision (Organization) John Lewis (Person) Bella Bertie United Kingdom Scouse

Liverpool is set to welcome thousands of tourists ahead of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

The city beat off competing UK cities to host the much anticipated annual event, after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who organises the competition, ruled it wouldn't be safe to hold the 2023 contest in the winning country, Ukraine, due to the ongoing conflict.

There's an exciting line-up of events set to entertain and dazzle tourists and locals alike, with organisers determined to honour Ukraine throughout the festivities.

Eurovision will take over Liverpool from Tuesday, May 9 until the grand final on Saturday, May 13. The contest will be held at the city's M&S Bank Arena.

Liverpool is known and loved for its rich musical history, its stunning architecture, and more, but it's also a place with many lesser known titbits of history worth brushing up on ahead of a visit.

With that in mind, here are some of the quirkiest and most interesting facts about Liverpool:

The Liver Birds' names - You absolutely need to know that the two most famous Liver Birds in the city, standing proud on top of the Royal Liver Building, are named Bertie and Bella.
They have set "roles" - The male, Bertie, faces inland to watch over the city while the female, Bella, looks out to the sea.
The story behind St Luke's 'Bombed Out Church' - In May 1941, St Luke's Church, based on Leece Street, was hit and suffered catastrophic damage, leaving only its shell intact. It's now an arts and events venue, and a Grade II listed building.
There's a well in a shop on Bold Street - Inside vintage fashion boutique, Soho's, there's a 240-year old well shaft dating back to the 17th century. While perusing vintage clothing, shoppers can take a look at the impressive and unexpected site.
One of the clock faces of the Liver Building was once used as a table - In November 1910, one of the clock faces was used as the table for a banquet to celebrate British Engineering and the achievement of the construction.
The clocks are the largest electronically-driven clocks in the UK - They were started on June 22, 1911 at 1.40pm to coincide with the exact moment of the coronation of King George V.
You can see the original dock underground outside John Lewis - On the ground outside John Lewis in Liverpool ONE is a circular window to the past. It offers a glimpse of the Old Dock, dating back to around 1715.
The story behind the 'pyramid tomb' - Rodney Street is home to a tombstone in the shape of a 15ft pyramid, which is the tomb of British civil engineer, William MacKenzie. It's believed to be one of the most haunted areas of the city. Legend would have it that MacKenzie was entombed while seated upright at a table with a winning hand of cards between his fingers, though this isn't actually true as the monument was erected 17 years after MacKenzie's death.
What's Scouse? - You can't come to Liverpool without knowing what Scouse actually is. It's a type of stew, typically made from chunks of meat - usually beef or lamb - with potatoes, carrots and onion.
Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral or religious building in the UK - No, the biggest religious building in the country isn't the famous Westminster Abbey, but our very own Liverpool Cathedral; the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool. It's 331 feet tall, with an area of 104,275 sq. ft.
The weird and wonderful 'whispering arch' - The stunning Anglican Cathedral is also home to the so-called 'whispering arch'. Visitors can sit apart and talk to one another, and marvel at the way the voice travels and can be heard in even the lowest of whispers.
A White Star Building is still here in Liverpool - Everyone knows the Titanic was registered in Liverpool, hence why she boasted the city's name on her stern. Liverpool is still home to a White Star Building, the shipping company behind the ill-fated ship. The building is also known as Albion House or 30 James Street, and is a Grade II listed building.
Liverpool holds the most number one records in the UK - This one may not be much of a surprise, considering the city is the birthplace of The Beatles but according to British Hit Singles, Liverpool boasts the most No.1 hit singles on the UK chart per head of population, with local bands achieving 56 hits.
The oldest workers' house in Liverpool is in the city centre - This blink-and-you'll-miss-it building is one many people likely haven't noticed. It's tucked away off Dale Street in the city centre, based at 10 Hockenhall Alley. The Grade II listed building is one of the oldest surviving workers' dwellings in the city dating back to the late 18th century.
'Oldest surviving' city monument thousands walk past every day - When you're busy doing your shopping in Liverpool's city centre, you may be stepping over one of the oldest items in Liverpool's history. One of four 'Sanctuary Stones' mark the boundary of Liverpool's medieval market, centred on the junction of Castle Street, Dale Street and High Street. The round black stone has four lines cut into it, and can be found nestled on the pavement of Castle Street.
Liverpool once had a medieval castle - When you visit Liverpool and walk past Liverpool Crown Court on Derby Square, it may seem hard to believe that a medieval castle used to be there. Made from sandstone with four towers and surrounded by a dry moat, the castle was built as a result of King John issuing a Royal Charter in Liverpool on August 28, 1207.
Secret feature of a statue hundreds of people walk by everyday - A statue in Exchange Flags in the city centre has a hidden feature that not even some locals know about. The hidden feature of the statue, which was unveiled in 1813, is a bunker. The base of the statue and behind the gates is a ventilation shaft, which is right below people’s feet in the Exchange Flags.