Things you didn't know about... Merseyside

A thoroughly modern place

Merseyside was created on 1 April 1974 in a controversial decision that took areas from the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. Merseyside was actually meant to be much larger than it turned out, but several proposed regions were eventually not included.

A spoonful of sugar

St Helens in the east of Merseyside was home to the world's first medicine factory in 1859.

From Mersey scene to Mersey screen

Merseyside's famous city of Liverpool is the most-filmed city outside London. It's been a location for, among many others, The 51st State, The Hunt for Red October and In the Name of The Father.

The musical quality of Mersey

Never mind The Beatles—did you know that the Wurlitzer organ was apparently invented by a chap from Birkenhead? Unfortunately he lost all claims to the design after visiting Wurlitzer in the US.

The city of two cathedrals

Liverpool is home to two cathedrals, one Roman Catholic and the other Anglican. Ironically, the architect of the Anglican cathedral was Roman Catholic (Giles Gilbert Scott), and the architect of the Roman Catholic cathedral was Anglican (Sir Edwin Lutyens). Fittingly, the two cathedrals are linked by Hope Street.

Home to a cricketing legend

Cricket legend WG Grace used to play at Merseyside's Sefton Park Cricket Club.

Back of the net!

Liverpool, Merseyside city engineer John Alexander Brodie invented goal nets in 1892. But they were first used for a match not on Merseyside but at Bolton Wanderers.

Merseyside is an inspiration to city parks everywhere

Birkenhead Park in Merseyside was the first publicly funded park in Britain, and many of its features were incorporated into the design of Central Park in New York.

Merseyside's eastern promise

Merseyside is home to the oldest Chinatown in Europe. The entrance to Liverpool's Chinatown is marked by the largest Imperial Arch outside China—it was shipped piece by piece from Shanghai.

Bobbies off the beat

In 1919, police officers in Liverpool, Merseyside and in London were the first police ever to go on strike. With the police since banned from taking industrial action, it remains the only police strike in UK history.

Making musical waves

Merseyside has many musical claims to fame—Liverpool artists have had more number one hits than any other city, for instance. But did you know that the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was the first orchestra to play underwater? They played in the Mersey Tunnel under the river, to mark the tunnel's 60th anniversary.