Speke
Speke is a district on the outskirts of Liverpool, close to the River Mersey. The city centre is about 9 miles away.
Liverpool Airport was at Speke, while the modern John Lennon Airport is about a mile away.
The original airport terminal building, with its control tower, has been converted into the excellent Crowne Plaza Hotel. It has fine Art Deco architecture, with two wings added. The hotel was opened by HRH the Duke of York in 2001.
Speke Hall is a lovely black and white timber framed mansion, built in the 16th century. The houses and its gardens are now in the care of the National Trust.
Paul McCartney and George Harrison lived for part of their childhoods in Speke, becoming schoolfriends in the early 1950s.