I too have to stick up for Liverpool. It is a lovely city with a beautiful area to visit, Albert Docks which is often home to large ships that dock there, with lots of places to eat and shops to browse in. Liverpool One is a good shopping centre with many varieties of shops and restaurants. I'm going today to eat at Bella Italia with a friend for a celebration. It has the 'Liver Bird' statue which is iconic in this part of the world. Full of lovely, friendly people too.