Morning ahoys..

I am asked to come over and assess an incident at five in the morning. Being not in a mood to drive, I take a cab. The driver appears very cheerful and jolly good. He keeps me engaged most of the time while I silently let my eyes hover on the television screen fitted for the passenger.
 
It is a promotional campaign for the Liverpool City of Culture 2008. It goes on to say that
1. The first Chinese newspaper in Britain was published in Liverpool.
2. The first rugby club was found in Liverpool.
3. The first female chart topper was from Liverpool. If I remember it rightly this was sometime during 1950s and the song went something like: How much is for the doggie in the window?
Etc etc.
All meticulously planned and well presented campaigns.

I mention this and the fact that I’ve just moved in recently to Liverpool to the cab driver; he instantly cheers up and looks more interested to present his city. We go on to talk about Liverpool in general, attractions, bike routes, women, property prices, this, that and everything.

And wonder of wonder he makes a brief stop in front of nice looking house and tells me that’s where John Lennon lived. And soon, he makes further stops on the way, showing me McCartney’s old house, the strawberry fields. Etc.

I realise all these being almost at the edge of the city, it would have taken a long time for me to visit them, if at all. And I am not sure if these are included on the map.

We reach my destination, the coppers and other parties are already there. I ask my cabbie if he minds waiting as I don’t expect to be here for a long time. He is fine. All the parties have quick meeting, more of an exchange really. I examine the evidence and give the go ahead. Things begin to roll.

I take the cab back, en route I ask him, what is the most special feature of Liverpool?
He falls into a thoughtful silence and replies, people. 

People. I dont think I have received that reply anytime before.

May be. May be not. But I have had no cab driver show me the real places that needs to be seen in any city before. And there were no blue tourist marks on the sites.