Where are all the poor people?

I’ve mentioned this before, but I am constantly told that the North West, especially Liverpool is poor.

Liverpool as a city is not a poor and run down looking place in the central and tourist biased area.  It is however surrounded by devastation.  The River Mersey flanks one side of Liverpool, and there certainly are evil and nasty places flanking the lovely city centre, but to the south, east and north.

Unless a tourist heads to the complete wastelands within which the Everton and Liverpool football grounds are situated, they will see Liverpool as a thriving and exciting city.

That’s because it is.

It’s also a brilliant architectural mix of old and brand new.  Not to mention it has plenty of character. That character is reflected in the tradition and the new, and more importantly, in the oddities.  I mean, right, the city celebrates a sculpture that depicts a lamb which is also a banana, the Lambanana.

Liverpudlians just accept this, whilst visitors scratch their heads with wonder; What is Liverpool about?

Heck, I’ve been to Manchester.  What’s Manchester about?  It’s almost as bad as Birmingham in having not a single redeeming feature.

Liverpool has character and the beauty of the centre of the city is that it’s not really full of ‘Scousers’ and all the traditionally presented stereotypes of hubcap stealing, drinking and fighting.

Walking around Liverpool you feel you are part of something special.  It’s almost the best kept secret of the North-West, or indeed the United Kingdom.

And yet, to hear people speak you’d think that devastation surrounding the football grounds was all there is in Liverpool.  You’d also believe that there was no money.

There’s plenty of money in Liverpool.

There’s plenty of souls going out and spending that money in Liverpool.  It doesn’t matter which day of the week, but the clubs and bars are heaving.  I don’t mean the cheap clubs.  Liverpool has some very expensive and exclusive nights out.  Whether this is within the top of the range clubs or the specialist restaurants, it is full of people.

During the day, the shops are packed.  And, there are so many of them.  Yes, all the same old same old chains as anywhere else are in Liverpool, such that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in just another Westfield shopping mall.  Except of course that the Liverpool ‘one’ is huge.  Next to these are the more local and bohemian specialist shops and diners.

Yes, some will come and some will go as the city breathes in and out, but Liverpool is alive.

To keep Liverpool alive the cash needs to turn over.  The cash from the pockets of ordinary people.  And turn over it does.  How can this be the case when we are told there’s no money?

What motivates those that propagate the no money lie?