IN 2007 Liverpool celebrates its 800th anniversary. In the last eight centuries the city has played host to some of the most extraordinary events and people in the world.
Having made its wealth on the back of slavery, it seems only fitting that the slave trade was helped to be abolished by one of Liverpool's most famous sons, Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.
Shipbuilding flourished and huge passenger liners took the place of slave ships as the city cemented a multi-cultural reputation as a melting pot of many different cultures. Millions of people: English, Scots, Irish, Swedish, Norwegians and Russian Jews gravitated here between 1830 and 1930 in the hopes of a new life in America or Australia.
Many decided to stay and were joined by economic migrants from the Caribbean, India and China (Liverpool is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe).
The city suffered terribly in the May Blitz in 1941, and was the only city in the UK to be bombed almost as heavily as London because of its important role as the WWII western gateway for transatlantic supplies. The Combined Headquarters of the Western Approaches was also based here and played an invaluable role in coordinating transatlantic convoys and the fight against German U-Boats.
Liverpool's famously strong sense of community rebuilt the city, but as heavy industry in the UK began to decline, Liverpool was hit by a crippling economic decline. A mixture of self-destructive politics and unequal distribution of wealth by the government lead to civil unrest which culminated in the 1981 Toxteth riots.
The city then turned to tourism and urban regeneration to restore its pride.
Those plans have seen the resurgence of the Albert Dock as well as a host of other projects, most recently the city centre's latest, and most ambitious, Ropewalks redevelopment aimed at transforming the city centre. Now with Liverpool's 800th Birthday coming the city has been named 2008 European Capital of Culture and things have never seemed more rich in possibility.
