Liverpool’s roads and streets have become my sanctuary. Especially during the summer, arguably the best season of the year, because the beautiful sun creates an atmosphere that gives me the incentive to casually stroll the pavements with my camera in tow, hoping to take pictures of anything seemingly uncanny.
While walking on Prescot Road in the Fairfield area of Liverpool, I came across an overgrown pathway, which is, of course, not too uncommon when you think about it. But where did the path lead to? It is fair to say, on that day in question, an eagerness to explore had overtaken me.
Whatever the case may be, a final decision had to be made. I could continue walking up Prescot Road? Or go down the path and do some investigating?
There was no point in being indecisive. My mother always calls me “nosy”, so, of course, I went with the latter option. To be a successful urban explorer, being nosy is an essential prerequisite. Continuing to walk up Prescot Road may have led to missing a fantastic opportunity to take interesting photos.
Venturing Down the Path
At first, I became slightly apprehensive while walking down the path, especially when I noticed a type of house you might expect to see atop a steep hill on a thunderous night in a classic black-and-white horror film.
After a closer inspection, I noticed the building used to be a social club, a place your parents or grandparents may have often frequented on a Saturday night.
Without a doubt, it has stood empty for a while. However, suppose there is no extensive damage, with a good lick of paint on the interior and exterior parts of the building, and a few gardeners helping to remove the weeds; in that case, it is easy to imagine the property looking nice again in no time.
The more I manoeuvred around the terrain, funnily enough, The Mamas & The Papas’ song: California Dreamin’ started to play repeatedly inside my head.
Yes, it seemed I had stepped into an outdoor space dedicated to preserving alternative lifestyles such as the hippie movement from the 1960s’ counterculture era, a period known for abandoning conventional norms and focusing more on a self-sufficient lifestyle.
For example, the front garden had no hint of materialism at all, just a primitive feel to the place, starting with makeshift seating areas made from planks of wood and car tyres.
Also saw empty bathtubs filled with soil to help grow vegetables, including sweet corn and lettuce. And even though we do not necessarily receive the best climate all year round to help grow produce, overall, it made a nice change from seeing stacks of chemically processed foods in the nation’s supermarkets.
And surprisingly, there was an old, small wooden boat blending in nicely among the weeds. Not the type of boat you could use to sail on the River Mersey. It looked very flimsy; therefore, you would not get too far. Even so, in its entirety, the boat was quite pleasant to stare at.
Time to reminisce
I stayed for around 30 minutes, taking many photos, then moved on elsewhere, all while hoping to find anything even more out of the ordinary.
There is a common phrase: “The same lightning doesn’t strike twice.” Yes, unfortunately, nothing came remotely close to what I had witnessed previously on Prescot Road. It was great being able to take a step back in time that day, and then, naturally, afterwards, it was back to reality.
Want to read more like this? Check out Andrew’s previous features.
