The Liverpool & Slavery Walking Tour was developed and inspired by our Dorothy Kuya Archive Project, in collaboration with National Museums Liverpool. During the project our team revealed the extent of Dorothy’s involvement in the establishment of the Atlantic Slave Trade Gallery, Slavery Remembrance Day and the International Slavery Museum. Along with Liverpool activist and historian Eric Scott Lynch (1932-2022), Dorothy delivered slavery walking tours in collaboration with NML in the mid 1990s. It is local Black activists like Dorothy and Eric that have played an integral role in how Liverpool remembers and commemorates its heavy involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
On this tour we explore the many sites and streets with direct links to the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Liverpool city centre. We discuss the depth of the city’s connections to the trade of enslaved Africans and the goods they produced long after its abolition in Britain. This tour also considers the legacies of the Atlantic Slave Trade, the origins of anti-Black racism and white supremacy, which in the 18th and 19th centuries were seen as justifications for horrific oppression and continue to encourage racial hatred violence in the present day.
Starting at The Pump House, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AN, the tour will then cover the L1 and L2 districts, ending at Liverpool Town Hall.
Starting point: The Pump House, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AN
End point: Liverpool Town Hall, High St, Liverpool, L2 3SW
Testimonials
“Found the walk very interesting and enjoyable.”
“Wonderful event! Please have a lot more of these through the year, if possible.”
“Fascinating walk and talk. Thank you!”
“Really interesting topics, anecdotal stories really brought me into the life.”
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.
The L8 Activism Walking Tour invites you to take a stroll down the beautiful, tree-lined Victorian boulevard and explore the rich history of Liverpool 8 — the traditional home of the Black community since the mid-20th century. This tour traces the area’s development from its origins as a merchant-class neighbourhood in the mid-to-late 19th century, when Liverpool was considered the second city of the British Empire — its prominence largely built on the Transatlantic Slave Trade — through a period of economic decline, and finally to its resurgence as one of the most desirable places to live in 2025.
As the tour progresses, we cover the vibrant nightlife and culture of the 1950s and 60s and the Black and anti-racist activism that developed throughout the 1970s and early 1980s and which responded to local and international issues. We consider the discrimination faced by Liverpool’s Black community, which Lord Gifford in his enquiry into the causes of the 1981 uprisings, described as ‘uniquely horrific’ which brought worldwide media attention to the area. At the Rialto which, during the uprisings, was set ablaze, we view the area where battle lines were drawn and consider why certain buildings were targeted.
The L8 Activism Walking Tour culminates on the former site of the Liverpool 8 Law Center, an organisation which arose out of the ‘81 Uprisings and which played a key role in the support and empowerment of L8 and the Black communities and then onto empty plinth where William Huskinson once stood. Join us to find out what happened to him and much more history that you won’t find in books.
Starting point: Princes Park North Gates, L8 3TA
End point: Former site of Huskinson statue, Princes Road, L8 1TH
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.
Since 2009, the Bluecoat has celebrated the life and work of Malcolm Lowry (1909-57), the Wirral-born author of the classic modernist novel Under the Volcano, through exhibitions, performances, commissions, publications, walks, talks and other activities.
This year’s annual celebration on will focus on the Lowry’s early years. A presentation at the Bluecoat by Helen Tookey and Bryan Biggs will include rarely seen photographs from Lowry’s childhood home in Caldy and summer holidays. This is followed by a coach and walking tour of the Wirral. We will visit Caldy, West Kirby and his birthplace, New Brighton where a blue plaque on the promenade commemorates the writer. The afternoon will also take in other Lowry haunts and places that appear in his acclaimed novel Under the Volcano (1947) and other writing.
Please Note:Lunch is not provided but there will be opportunities to eat on the way, so please bring a picnic. There will be some walking including on a beach, so please wear sensible footwear and sustainable rainproof clothing. If you have any accessibility concerns, please email us.
£8 (booking required)
Second-hand September alert: Real-life Vinted Without The Fees on Lark Lane
Slowdown Sundays returns to Lark Lane with affordable autumn wardrobes, live music, and more.
Where: Lark Lane Old Police Station
When: 21st September 2025, 11:00–15:00
Affordable pre-loved fashion pop-up Slowdown Sundays is back Sunday 21st September in Lark Lane, for one day only (and entry is free!). With emphasis on autumn and winter wear, you can get a full wardrobe refresh without the Vinted fees!
Organisers Life in Colour UK and Zero Fashion UK created Slowdown Sundays with three clear aims: building a slow fashion community whilst making fashion affordable to all and reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion. Buyers will be helping reduce the staggering 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year and the resulting 10% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Following the success of the July pop-up, and high demand for a return, Lark Lane Old Police Station visitors can expect:
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Up to 30 personally curated stalls with fashion for all bodies
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Live music from the Penny Lane Jazz
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Mindful textile crafts
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A chance to try circus skills with Sarah Han Creatives
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A chance to win a personalised colour analysis with any purchase
One July visitor wrote in: “It was so relaxed and easy to look around compared to regular shops. I felt brave and tried on pieces I wouldn’t have and left with 4 items I love for less than £30 (shoutout to my new favourite Levi’s for £5)!”
‘We can’t wait to build on the success of the first event and help even more people find joy and creativity in pre-loved treasures’ say organisers Life in Colour and Zero Fashion UK
Entry is free, and no booking is required.
Follow the journey on Instagram: @lifeincolouruk and @zerofashionuk.
John Mitchel’s GAA Club, in partnership with LivIrishFest, hosts this unique event at Liverpool’s only dedicated GAA pitch.
Past players from the club battle it out with visiting teams from Ireland in a not-to-be-missed morning of everyone’s favourite sport. Come along for a great day of football, fun, and catching up with friends old and new. Everyone welcome – players, supporters, families and friends.
This is an outdoor event in October. Please come along with waterproofs and/or sun cream as needed and be ready to get muddy and/or grass-stained!
Fancy having a go at Gaelic football? This event is open to all age groups whether keen Gaelic Footballers or total newbies!
To kickstart the event, coaches will be there to welcome everyone, offering a great opportunity to find out a bit more about the game and John Mitchel’s GAA Club. Here’s your chance to meet club members and even play a bit of Gaelic Football. There’ll be ‘blitz’ sessions for young ones, from fully qualified and checked coaches (guardians to stay throughout).
A kids’ Gaelic Football Tournament kicks off at 2.30pm.
This is an outdoor event in October. Please be ready with waterproofs and/or sun cream as needed and be prepared get muddy and/or grass-stained!
Join Liverpool Irish Festival‘s John Maguire (also of ArtsGroupie) on a revealing journey through Liverpool city centre. Spectators will hear about how the Victorian tragedy of the Irish Famine changed Liverpool’s streets. Trail walkers will learn about how locations were used for sanctuary, nourishment and safety. They will also hear and understand the benevolence of Liverpool’s people. Using a new trail app, headsets and recent Walk of the Bronze Shoes experience, your guide will really help you to walk in the shoes of Liverpool and Irish people 180-years ago.
This walk leaves at 11am. (There is a later walk at 12.15am.) Bookers for this walk are asked to gather from 10.45am at the Pilotage Building (near the Museum of Liverpool), for a tour taking walkers up to Fenwick Street and back. The walk will last approximately 45mins.
Bookings for these walks close at 5pm on Fri 17 Oct 2025.
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This year at Squash we’re celebrating our 10th annual Harvest Auction Fundraiser! Come slong for a magical eve of comedy and fun, win some locally grown and made harvest delights, and help raise funds for communities close to our heart, including:
- Squash’s own ‘Soup It Forward’ initiative, making sure neughbours in need can eat free in the Squash cafe, especially going into the colder months
- local charity Habibti Liverpool who support the medical staff and children at Al Sabeen Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen
- the African Caribbean Centre, a thiriving L8 hub, empowering a healthy, connected community
- the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, a Palestinian non-governmental organisation dedicated to supporting farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Following the attack on the Local Palestine Seed Bank on July 31st this year by Isreali forces, twinned organisation Exeter Seed Bank are fundraising to help restore and protect remaining seed sources in Palestine.
If you can’t make the auction but would like to donate please do so here.
Growers and Cooks! Have you grown something you’re really proud of this year? Or made an amazing jam? Donations of home or allotment-grown fruit & veg and preserves, ferments, or other delicious homemade seasonal treats can be dropped off at Squash on Saturday 13th, Wednesday 17th, Thursday 18th, Friday 19th between 10am and 4pm.
Harvest Competition! The catagories for our annual harvest produce competition are:
-BEST WONKY FRUIT OR VEG
-BEST SQUASH/ PUMPKIN
-BEST PRESERVE (jam/ chutney/relish/ferment- entries require a whole jar and a sample for judges)
-BEST DRESSED AT THE HARVEST AUCTION (get your best Autumn kecks on!)
-BEST IN SHOW
If you would like to enter, please note this on the Auction Lot Entry form when you drop off your goods
For more info or to donate an auction lot email clare@squashliverpool.co.uk or call 01517077897
He may be very busy checking lists, preparing gifts, checking lists (again), feeding the reindeer, polishing his boots, but he’s never too busy to visit one of his favourite places – the Bluecoat!
With a sackful of silly stories and a last-minute chance to check which list you might be on, Father Christmas invites you to a Winter Warmer full of family-friendly giggles, noise, and nonsense! This 60-minute show includes a chance for every family to meet, greet, and chat with Father Christmas—and take your own photos with the help of our friendly Elf.
Father Christmas has been bringing his silly storytelling shows to sold-out venues across Merseyside for over five years. His cousin and fellow storyteller, Gav Cross, has finally convinced him to bring this unique show to the heart of Liverpool!
Available Dates:– Sat 29 Nov*- Sun 30 Nov*- Sat 6 Dec- Sun 7 Dec- Sat 13 Dec- Sun 14 Dec- Sat 20 Dec- Sun 21 Dec
(*Scratch Weekend)
Available Times:– 11am-12pm- 1.30-2.30pm- 3.30-4.30pm
*Scratch Weekend, Sat 29 – Sun 30 Nov: Preview performances at discounted price! See Father Christmas test out his stories in preview performances at a slightly discounted price. £7.50 per person.Ticket Prices from Sat 6 Dec:
General Ticket: £13 per personFamily Ticket: £47 (Family of 4, minimum 1 adult and 1 child).
During this simplified, beginner friendly day course you will learn how to turn a treasured image into a UV stencil screen. Once you have your screen made, you’ll be talked through some fun and easy screen techniques to add colour to your prints. You’ll finish the workshop by using our screen-beds to ink and print your one-of-a-kind artwork onto paper in a small edition that you can take home with you.
£70 (all materials included)
