Seventeen Ramblers met in Bold Street, Liverpool today for our annual Winter walk and Christmas lunch. Undaunted by the ominous weather forecast, which predicted wind and prolonged rain, the group met outside The Lyceum to hear about the long and somewhat chequered history of this Grade II listed building. Setting off up Bold Street, which started life as a long field or Ropewalk and was the right length top to bottom for the production of ropes for the growing maritime industry, we heard about the connection with the wealthy DeBold family whose business enterprises of sugar imports and banking in the 18th century involved dark dealings with the slave trade by one Jonas Bold.
Our walk was peppered with historic dates and facts but also certain supernatural and unexplained happenings along Bold Street, up to St. Lukes church and along Rodney Street. The walk terminated in the 400 year old quarry at the Anglican Cathedral, which in 1825 became a cemetery with nearly 50,000 bodies interned, 1/3 of whom were children. The predicted bad weather held off as we heard stories about some of those lying beneath our feet. It was here we saw the running stream named the Chalybeate Spring which was discovered in 1773 by quarrymen. Medics were quick to test the qualities of the water, and it was believed that it had the ability to cure all manner of ills. By now we had worked up an appetite and were looking to get warm. Luckily our lunch appointment at the Academy Restaurant of Liverpool City College was nearby and we enjoyed a lovely 3 course Christmas Lunch served by trainee Flight Attendants.