Wirral... The home of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain Wirral... The home of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain is a peninsula of great natural beauty. Bounded by the Cheshire plain, the Dee estuary, the river Mersey and the Irish sea, it is a magnificent setting for lively towns, tranquil villages and rural areas.

Locally there is an abundance of theatres, galleries and museums and places of historical interest complemented by superb sports and athletic facilities as one would expect from an area with such diversity. First class concerts, exhibitions, theatres,major outdoor events and entertainment, sporting and athletic events are regular features throughout the year.

Accommodation in Wirral caters for all tastes and all pockets with a host of good hotels, inns, pubs, restaurants and eating places vie to provide the warmest of welcomes for visitors to Wirral. Due to the interest in the Guitar Festival and the fact that so many people now arrange their holidays and work around the event a number of Wirral's Hotels and Guest Houses are offering special rates to visitors who wish to stay. Those listed below will be delighted to play host to you while you stay over so when you are booking don't forget to quote 'Guitar Festival' to get the best deal!

As a touring base Wirral's location is unrivalled. The M53 traverses the peninsula with junctions never more than minutes from the coast and direct links to the M56, M6, M62 and the M1. Wirral is easily reached via Liverpool using the two Mersey Road Tunnels, Merseyrail underground railway system or the famous Mersey Ferries. (Birkenhead is the 'other end' of the Ferry 'cross the Mersey) from Liverpool so a visit to the city is only minutes away. Speke Airport in Liverpool is only twenty minutes away and Manchester Airport about fifty minutes and easily accessible via the motorway network.

And of further special interest - a number of firsts!

Birkenhead Park - designed by Sir Joseph Paxton (remember the Crystal Palace?) and opened in 1847 as the first public park in this country. Birkenhead Park was the model for Central Park in New York, USA. Conceived on a grand scale, the park consists of an upper and lower park separated by a public road. Sandstone lodges at the various entrances were built to reflect different styles of architecture so there is a Gothic Lodge, the Norman Lodge and the Italian Lodge; while the monumental main entrance was modelled on the Temple of Illysus in Athens. There are two lakes, one in each park, the lower lake having a fine boathouse and an ornate 'Swiss Bridge'.

Birkenhead Trams - George F Train's celebrated Horse Tramway was established in Birkenhead in 1860. The first street-running tramway system in Europe, it was immediately hailed as a success and towns everywhere soon emulated his pioneering ideas.

Mersey Ferries - the first and oldest surviving form of public transport on Merseyside are the world famous Mersey Ferries. Monks from the Birkenhead Priory were probably rowing travellers across the river as early as 1150 when the Priory was founded. In 1330 the monks of Birkenhead Priory obtained a Royal Charter to operate ferries across the river between Birkenhead and Liverpool (this is why all of the tolls are collected on the Birkenhead side).

Laird School of Art - the first public school of art outside London, given to the town by John Laird (of Cammell Laird Shipbuilding fame and one of Birkenhead's founding fathers!) - Birkenhead's first Member of Parliament. The school opened on 27th September 1871.

Resurgam ('I will rise again) - the first successful commissioning of a steam powered submarine was in Birkenhead in 1879 by Manchester clergyman, George William Garrett. Built by Messrs Cochran and Co. engineers at Duke Street, Birkenhead, and patented in Britain in May 1878, after extinguishing its fire, it could travel underwater for several miles. On a journey to Portsmouth for demonstration purposes to naval authorities, following a brief stop at docks in Rhyl for with technical problems Garrett set sail again at 10.00pm in a gale on 24th February 1880. Resurgam was now being towed by a steam yacht which developed engine trouble. The tow rope broke in heavy seas and the Resurgam sank. Her present location was recently discovered, and it is hoped that she can be salvaged and restored.

Boy Scouts - The Scouting movement was founded by Baden-Powell in Wirral in 1908 and the world's first Scout Jamboree took place in Arrowe Park in Wirral in 1929 to celebrate 21 years of Scouting.

Guide Dogs for The Blind - started in a Wallasey garage in 1931 by Muriel Crooke, a local dog trainer and Rosamund Bond, an Alsation breeder. For the first ten years Wallasey was the only Guide Dog training centre in Britain.

Elizabeth - the first ever vessel powered by steam, the 'Elizabeth' entered the River Mersey in 1815. Queensway - The first road tunnel under the River Mersey between Birkenhead and Liverpool opened in 1934.

Guitar Festival - the first Guitar Festival lasting seven days with nineteen events took place in Wirral in 1989.

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