If you ever visit Liverpool:
Go to the Maritime Museum and take a tour of the Old Dock.
This is an order, not a suggestion.
It was fucking brilliant!
We had two delightful (I can't think of a better word to describe them) and entertaining guides, who managed to make history come alive.
Their Scouse accent was a bit of a challenge, but I got most of what was said \o/
I don't think there is a better way to understand how this town with 600 inhabitants could turn into the second largest city in England (hint: it has something to do with having had the first commercial wet dock in the world).
Unfortunately, the tour is only offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the moment and you have to pre-book.