Problem
I've heard of Southport. Friends who live there say it's lovely. But what can you do there?
Answer
1 The Lawnmower Museum
At first sight, I thought this was an unlikely and uninteresting subject. But when I read their website, I found it fascinating. the extraordinary thing about the lawnmower is that for years people had meadows with grass mixed with flowers. They cut down high grass with scythes to make it easier to walk about. Scythes are risky things to use. One day a man adapted a machine used to cut the surface of cloth - he decided to adapt it to cut a lawn. The result was the modern oblong garden like a picture frame with a neat lawn edged by two, three or four flower beds.
2 The Pier and the beach
The horse Red Rum used to run up and down the beach. You can run up and down the pier.
3 Red Rum statue in Wayfarers Arcade
After winning the Grand National, Red Rum became more famous than Black Beauty, the fictional horse hero of the book and film.
(Not to be confused with Shergar, part owned by the Aga Khan, which was valuable and famous, and that horse was kidnapped, disappeared, never found. Like Lord Lucan, the horse's disappearance is a great mystery, and has led to the ironic simile that finding something is as likely (meaning unlikely) as finding Shergar.)
4 Aintree
Where Red Rum won the Grand National, coming first three times and second twice. After winning many races, the horse eventually died and was buried at Aintree, where you can see the grave.
5 Queen Victoria statue
Tips
http://www.lawnmowerworld.co.uk
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk
www.visitBritain.org
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1576718/The-truth-about-Shergar-racehorse-kidnapping.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Beauty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rum
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/10-best-things-southport-2017-12415732
(More later.)
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker
I've heard of Southport. Friends who live there say it's lovely. But what can you do there?
Answer
1 The Lawnmower Museum
At first sight, I thought this was an unlikely and uninteresting subject. But when I read their website, I found it fascinating. the extraordinary thing about the lawnmower is that for years people had meadows with grass mixed with flowers. They cut down high grass with scythes to make it easier to walk about. Scythes are risky things to use. One day a man adapted a machine used to cut the surface of cloth - he decided to adapt it to cut a lawn. The result was the modern oblong garden like a picture frame with a neat lawn edged by two, three or four flower beds.
2 The Pier and the beach
The horse Red Rum used to run up and down the beach. You can run up and down the pier.
3 Red Rum statue in Wayfarers Arcade
After winning the Grand National, Red Rum became more famous than Black Beauty, the fictional horse hero of the book and film.
(Not to be confused with Shergar, part owned by the Aga Khan, which was valuable and famous, and that horse was kidnapped, disappeared, never found. Like Lord Lucan, the horse's disappearance is a great mystery, and has led to the ironic simile that finding something is as likely (meaning unlikely) as finding Shergar.)
4 Aintree
Where Red Rum won the Grand National, coming first three times and second twice. After winning many races, the horse eventually died and was buried at Aintree, where you can see the grave.
5 Queen Victoria statue
http://www.lawnmowerworld.co.uk
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk
www.visitBritain.org
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1576718/The-truth-about-Shergar-racehorse-kidnapping.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Beauty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rum
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/10-best-things-southport-2017-12415732
(More later.)
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker
