Southport

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Southport
Lord Street in Southport, Merseyside, England.
Lord Street in Southport, Merseyside, England.
coat of arms
coat of arms
Coordinates 53 ° 39 ′  N , 3 ° 0 ′  W Coordinates: 53 ° 39 ′  N , 3 ° 0 ′  W
Southport (England)
Southport
Southport
Residents 91,404 (as of 2001)
administration
ZIP code section PR
prefix 01704
Part of the country England

Southport is a city of 91,404 inhabitants (as of 2001) in north-west England on the coast of the Irish Sea , north of Liverpool . Southport used to belong to County Lancashire , since the administrative reform of 1974 it has been part of Metropolitan County Merseyside , which was converted into a so-called ceremonial county in 1986 . Within Merseysides, Southport is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton .

location

The city is a popular seaside resort at the confluence of the Ribble in the Irish Sea and serves mainly as a destination for the residents of the greater Liverpool-Manchester area. The coastline is preceded by a 1–2 km wide mudflat zone , which dries out at low tide and into which the second longest pier in Great Britain (1108 m) protrudes. Southport does not have its own port, but is connected to the surrounding cities by road and rail links (including the Merseyrail, which is similar to the S-Bahn ).

history

The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Some place names point to foundations by the Vikings , while the parish around St. Cuthbert is mentioned in the Domesday Book . Today's Southport was not created until 1798 when William Sutton was founded. As a seaside resort, it quickly rivaled Blackpool, a little further north . Napoleon III paid a visit to Southport in 1838 and was allegedly inspired by Southport Boulevards to design the Avenue des Champs-Élysées after he became Emperor of France. In 1848 Southport received a rail link to Liverpool and in 1855 to Manchester . The pier, which is still preserved today, was built in 1860 . In 1905 Southport was given the status of its own county borough . On April 1, 1974 , Southport was then part of the newly established Metropolitan County Merseyside, where it merged with the community of Bootle to the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton . Merseyside has since managed public, transportation and rescue services, while some other services are under the borough.

tourism

Tourism dominates to this day, although the place is geared towards more affluent tourists. The promenade along Marine Lake, a kind of lagoon, has retained its Victorian appearance or has been restored through reconstructions. In addition, the Pleasureland is an amusement park and six golf courses. Right next to the pier there was a zoological garden until 2004, and the Southport Pier Tramway runs on the pier . Lord Street, the city's main shopping street, which is characterized by numerous shops, bars and restaurants, runs almost parallel to the promenade. Jazz festivals and open-air classical music concerts are also held in the city. In addition, the March of the Orangemen through the city is celebrated in the summer . In addition, there are regular supraregional golf tournaments as well as an annual flight show and a flower festival.

politics

Southport is considered a stronghold of the Liberals and Conservatives . It forms a constituency for the British House of Commons and is currently (2006) represented by the Liberal Democratic MP John Pugh.

In Southport there is a civic movement ( Southport Out Of Sefton ), which calls for the dissolution of the administrative association with Bootle and the establishment of an independent borough of Southport instead. For this purpose 23,000 signatures were collected; however, the competent authorities have so far insisted on the existing limits.

Sports

With Southport FC, Southport has a football club with an amateur team in the Football Conference . The club's stadium is located on Haig Avenue . There is also a rugby team (Southport RUFC) in Southport. However, Southport is best known in the sports world for its role in golf. It is one of the venues for the Open Championship . In 1933 , 1937 , 1965 and 1969 the Ryder Cup took place on the courses of the Royal Birkdale Golf Club and the Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club . The Marine Lake is used for various water sports events.

Personalities

The following personalities were born or lived in Southport:

Web links

Commons : Southport  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ National Piers Society , History of Southport Pier. Retrieved July 11, 2011.