The Rocket, the pub at the start of the M62, takes its name from Stephenson's Rocket steam engine, which broke down nearby. The original pub in Broadgreen was demolished in the 1970s to make way for the motorway, then rebuilt on Bowring Park Road in 1982. It remains a popular meeting point for football coaches and visitors entering Liverpool.
Paddy's Wigwam and The Greatie
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, completed in 1967, is Britain's largest Catholic cathedral and is locally known as Paddy's Wigwam. Built on the site of the former Liverpool Workhouse, it attracts over 350,000 visitors each year and required 30,000 tonnes of concrete and 300 tonnes of marble.
Great Homer Street Market, affectionately called The Greatie, has been a Liverpool staple for over 180 years. The market in Everton draws hundreds of shoppers every Saturday, offering fresh produce, clothing, and furniture. Many stallholders have traded there for more than two decades. The market was relocated in 2014 as part of the Project Jennifer scheme.
The Mystery and The Raz
Wavertree Playground, known locally as The Mystery, earned its nickname from an anonymous donation to Liverpool Corporation in 1895. The 104-acre park was later revealed to be gifted by shipping magnate Philip H. Holt, who also owned the Sudley Estate.
The Blue Angel nightclub on Seel Street, opened in 1939, hosted acts like Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. Despite its blue signage, locals call it The Raz, a name that stuck from a brief period in the 1980s when it was renamed Razzamataz.
Bubble bus stops and the Echo Arena
Queens Square Bus Station replaced the Roe/Hood Street Gyratory in 1996. The old gyratory was known as the bubble bus stops because of the curved plastic shelters that lined Roe and Hood Street.
The M&S Bank Arena, opened in 2008 for Liverpool's European Capital of Culture celebrations, was originally named the Echo Arena after its naming sponsor, the Liverpool ECHO. Many still refer to it by that name, even after the sponsorship ended in early 2019.
Bombed Out Church and The Ralla
St Luke's Church, destroyed during the Luftwaffe's Blitz on May 6, 1941, stands today as a skeletal frame and is known as The Bombed Out Church. It now hosts cultural events, serves as a gathering place, and features remnants of its original stained glass, including a hidden Liver Bird.
The Liverpool Loop Line, a four-mile walking and cycling greenway from Aintree to Halewood, is locally called The Ralla, derived from the word railway. It follows a disused railway track.
