{"id":529761,"date":"2025-10-26T19:52:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T19:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/529761\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T19:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T19:52:22","slug":"the-10-things-ill-miss-about-liverpool-and-a-few-i-wont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/529761\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 things I\u2019ll miss about Liverpool and a few I won\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"

As ECHO regeneration reporter Dan Haygarth prepares to bid his home city farewell, he writes for one final time about the place he lovesDan Haygarth<\/strong><\/a> Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter<\/p>\n

18:14, 26 Oct 2025Updated 19:49, 26 Oct 2025<\/p>\n

\"DanDan Haygarth is leaving the Liverpool Echo (Image: Ryan Paton \/ Liverpool ECHO)<\/p>\n

Liverpool is an incredible city. Like anyone born here, I\u2019m incredibly proud of it and count myself lucky to be a Scouser<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spent 22 of my 28 years living here \u2013 university and work took me away a decade ago, before I returned home to work for the ECHO<\/a>. But now I\u2019m off again, moving down to London for a new job. It will be heart-rending to leave as I love this place and working as an ECHO journalist has only deepened that.<\/p>\n

This job gives you a unique perspective of the city and I feel immensely privileged to have been trusted with telling the stories of people from across Merseyside<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With my departure impending, I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about my hometown. I will miss so much about Liverpool,<\/a> so I\u2019ve tried to sum up what I think is the best of the city here.<\/p>\n

The pubs<\/strong><\/p>\n

For my money, there are not many places that can compete with Liverpool when it comes to pubs. Amazing boozers can be found all over our city \u2013 whether that\u2019s in the south with Smithdown Road, Lark Lane and Woolton<\/a> Village or the north\u2019s offering of matchday pubs, particularly County Road\u2019s historic Everton haunts.<\/a><\/p>\n

But the city centre is where this truly comes into its own. Dale Street and the business district is punctuated by its superb watering holes, harking back to the days of the lunchtime pint.<\/p>\n

There are the enjoyable quirks of The Ship and Mitre, The Denbigh Castle\u2019s Everton association and its fine selection of German lagers, Dead Crafty\u2019s unrivalled offering of weird and wonderful beers<\/a> and The Vernon Arms, which is everything you could ever ask for from an old-school, street corner pub<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Echo'sEcho’s Dan Haygarth at The Philharmonic Dining Rooms (Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n

Then you have the Georgian Quarter, the perfect area for a pub crawl. I could go on for years (and I think I have done<\/a>) about the pubs there, so I\u2019ll keep it as brief as I can.<\/p>\n

There are too many to mention, but you have the grandeur of The Philharmonic, the intimate, almost house party feel of The Belvedere and one of my favourite places on earth \u2013 The Grapes on Roscoe Street<\/a>, all combining in the most sublime way.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll miss them dearly but they will be my first port of call when I come home.<\/p>\n

Sefton Park and Aigburth<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born and brought up in Aigburth<\/a>. I adore the place and think it\u2019s a template for what a suburb can be.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of greenery, lovely houses and so many great local businesses. We\u2019ve also got the wonderful Sefton Park<\/a> on our doorstep – everyone knows it\u2019s idyllic \u2013 but the fact it spills out onto the bustle of Lark Lane only makes it better.<\/p>\n

The Georgian Quarter<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already mentioned how much I love the Georgian Quarter\u2019s pubs, but I think it\u2019s generally my favourite part of the city.<\/p>\n

Liverpool is blessed with so much great architecture but nowhere is this more prominent than in the Georgian Quarter<\/a>. The elegant townhouses, theatres, restaurants and the aforementioned boozers make this an extremely pretty and nicely lively part of town.<\/p>\n

Hope Street, with Liverpool\u2019s two cathedrals at either end, is at the heart of that. You won\u2019t find many other streets like it.<\/p>\n

The Pier Head, the Three Graces and the waterfront<\/strong><\/p>\n

The waterfront is Liverpool\u2019s picture postcard image \u2013 and for good reason. It is a grand representation of how important this city is, as well as a reminder of how far it has come since the challenging days of the 1980s.<\/p>\n

With the Liver Building<\/a>, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building, you have three of the most impressive city structures you will find anywhere. Walking along the waterfront when the sun is bouncing off the River Mersey<\/a> is as good for the soul as it gets.<\/p>\n

I love the walk from the Pier Head, through the Albert Dock<\/a> and all the way down to Otterspool Prom back in Aigburth<\/a>. If you ever need reminding of how special this city is, that walk will do it for you.<\/p>\n

The buzz of coming into town on a Saturday<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liverpool Central<\/a> is not the world\u2019s finest train station (more on that later, you\u2019ll be delighted to know), but there\u2019s something special with how it feels around lunchtime on a Saturday.<\/p>\n

Most people have finished their weeks of work and are heading into the city centre from across the region for to spend their hard-earned cash. Whether that\u2019s shopping, a meal out, a trip to the theatre on an afternoon on the ale, everyone shares the same excitement for the day to come.<\/p>\n

So, in a strange way, the slightly tired 1970s trappings of Central Station represent the promise of a weekend beginning. And this city knows how to enjoy itself as well as anywhere.<\/p>\n

Everton Football Club<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"EvertonEverton fan Dan Haygarth (Image: Colin Lane \/ Liverpool ECHO)<\/p>\n

My true love, Everton Football Club. The Blues can be hard work at times and my parents were right when they told me supporting Everton is character-building.<\/p>\n

That has firmly been the case in the rather testing last few years. But they also gave us the perfect farewell to Goodison<\/a> \u2013 a place that means so much to us all.<\/p>\n

It is hard not to get romantic about Goodison Park<\/a>. The walk down Goodison Road to your turnstile, passing terraced houses, chippies and pubs as the smells of cigarettes, beer and gravy fill the air, is exactly how a footballing Saturday should be.<\/p>\n

I already miss it. I love everything about that place. The sense of belonging and unity shared with close to 40,000 others, the history and the glory it represents, the nerves and anticipation inspired by the start of Z-Cars, the sound of wooden seats thumping back as expectant fans stand for a corner, the split-second of silence that precedes the cacophony of noise that greets a goal.<\/p>\n

But most of all I love the way it shook to its Victorian foundations when we scored a late winner. There is simply nothing like it.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it lives on for Everton Women and, in the new stadium at Bramley-Moore, we have a worthy replacement for the men\u2019s side. David Moyes is back, everything feels much steadier and, largely thanks to Jack Grealish, Everton are fun again.<\/p>\n

Crosby Beach<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any city worth its salt is found on a body of water. The Mersey is the city\u2019s lifeblood but Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea give Merseyside its fine array of beaches.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, none of these are better than Crosby Beach<\/a>. I have fond memories of playing beach cricket as a child and I still think it\u2019s the best place to spend a sunny Merseyside day \u2013 a pint at the Bus Yard won\u2019t hurt that either.<\/p>\n

Even when the sun\u2019s not out, Anthony Gormley\u2019s statues make sure the view out into the sea is atmospheric. A great beach.<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s sandwiches<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a real weakness for big sandwiches. There are plenty of sterling options in Merseyside \u2013 Castro’s on Hackins Hey being right up there – but my favourite is Derek\u2019s. I simply cannot get enough of their huge Italian American-style sandwiches<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hand me the chicken grinder and I\u2019ll be a happy man. If I\u2019m hungover, few things will fix that quite like their lavish array of sandwiches.<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s started on Allerton<\/a> Road \u2013 and that first shop is still my favourite \u2013 but you can now find them in Crosby<\/a>, on Berry Street and on Lark Lane. If they fancy opening in London, I\u2019ll be the first in the queue.<\/p>\n

The ECHO<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ECHO has been the voice of Liverpool since 1879. Other outlets cover our region but none of them do it like this newspaper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our Liverpool city centre<\/a> office is full of hard-working and talented people who care deeply about this region. They get to the heart of the challenges it faces, stand up for those who need it and champion what makes it great.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll miss working there hugely but will always be very proud to have written for my hometown newspaper.<\/p>\n

The people<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be a cliche but it\u2019s true \u2013 Scousers are the warmest<\/a>, funniest and most generous people you will find.<\/p>\n

Also, I will always admire the rebellious and defiant streak in this city. Liverpool stands up for itself and won\u2019t suffer fools. It\u2019s a special place made up of great people.<\/p>\n

What I won\u2019t miss<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DanDan won’t miss the buses<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not wanting to do a Ringo Starr and leave on a sour note, but I do have a couple of problems to mention. No place on earth is perfect \u2013 not even Liverpool.<\/p>\n

So, returning to Liverpool Central station, I think this city is truly let down by public transport. It\u2019s an issue that I\u2019ll often get on my soap box about.<\/p>\n

Travelling to Liverpool from elsewhere in the country by train is often a complete nightmare. The options within the city aren\u2019t perfect either.<\/p>\n

I feel like I\u2019ve lost years of my life waiting for buses that don\u2019t show up<\/a> \u2013 and if they do, you waste away while sitting in traffic. When it comes to the railways, Merseyrail<\/a> does a decent job, even though its new trains have had a patchy opening few years.<\/p>\n

But its network simply doesn\u2019t serve enough of the region. Not enough people have a nearby Merseyrail station \u2013 best of luck to those having to use Northern Rail every day.<\/p>\n

Added to that, bus routes are mainly drawn into town, so getting across Merseyside if you\u2019re not heading into the city centre can feel like a mythic quest. We are lightyears behind London and Manchester when it comes to public transport and people deserve a lot better.<\/p>\n

But, leaving on a high, I will miss Liverpool dearly – buses aside.<\/p>\n

Provided Avanti West Coast doesn\u2019t fail me (optimistic, I know), I will be back as often as I can. You can\u2019t really stay away for long.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As ECHO regeneration reporter Dan Haygarth prepares to bid his home city farewell, he writes for one final…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529762,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,4884,179,2349,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-529761","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-liverpool","12":"tag-liverpool-city-centre","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115442217624981574","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/529762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}