My trip to Redwall

[Captain Tammo]

Intro
Hey all! Some time ago, I disappeared to partake in a study abroad trip in Southern France and take some French classes. Since I was across the ocean and in Europe, I decided that it might be fun to do some traveling around from country to country on the weekends, seeing as it would be a mere fraction of the cost as it would have been traveling from the US, where I live. Among the stops I wanted to do from the very beginning was Liverpool, England. I think the reasons for actually following through with the visit was a mix of making a younger version of myself happy (this is where Brian Jacques grew up! It's the closest to Redwall as I'm going to get), and that kind of "why not" attitude behind wanting to visit someplace new. The badger who once said, "travel is an adventure!" was right! So around late July, I booked my plane ticket and was off!

The Trip to Redwall
After a somewhat rocky arrival in the city, which consisted of me almost getting killed by an Audi when I looked the wrong way before crossing the street (darn you England and your backwards driving); having the most difficult time in the world understanding peoples accents; getting lost on the way to my hotel; almost missing every bus that I needed to take; coming into site of the hotel as my phone died, and in the company of a complete stranger (who albeit was extremely kind and had a few funny stories to tell); I finally arrived.

It was already night when I set up in my room. I went out to get some dinner and enjoyed a quick walk around the nearby area. The next morning, I woke up early - I had a mission! Stop #1 was Stanely Park, which I had come to know after watching a YouTube video that described it as inspiring the setting of Redwall.

It was about a two mile (3.2 km) walk to the park, and I decided I would enjoy myself on the way there. The wind was cool and the clouds blew thick and heavy across the sky. I couldn't help but feel a certain giddiness as I strode up to the entrance and saw, from beneath a cloak of bumper stickers and mild graffiti, Welcome to Stanley Park

The park is split up into two parts: one for sports and one for casual, slow promenades. The developers of the park did this so that there would be a place for both the young and old who lived nearby. The sport section of the park was characterized by wide, expansive fields where students and children could run about and play rugby or football. Meanwhile the promenade section was adorned with flowerbeds, pavilions and winding pathways. I entered on the 'sporty side', so I suspected that the red sandstone walls must be on the other end. I set out and passed through some lovely gardens on the way.

I could not help but pretend that I was on a journey to the abbey itself, walking along the path in Mossflower. The trees and plants hugging the central path could as well been features of Mossflower Wood, and it did not take much imagination to get the rest of the way! I was thousands of miles from home, another thousand miles away from my friends in Southern France, alone in a country I had never visited before, and with only a pack over my shoulders. Of course, the people of Liverpool turned out to be friendly enough. But pretending to be a lone traveler, trundling along the great path towards Redwall after an enormous journey, was just too much fun.

After about ten minutes of walking, I arrived at a large pavilion made of red sandstone and, there, through the archway I realized that I'd finally arrived. The closest thing to Redwall in real life was right there, hidden in plain sight in a park all along!

You might think it weird, but given how much these stories changed me as a person growing up – transforming me into a reader, encouraging me to start practicing my own writing, and teaching me the love of storytelling – to see the inspiration behind it all was so spectacular that it nearly brought a tear to my eye! This was the place!

I found a bench and, being the Redwall nerd I am, I came prepared with a copy of the book.

I passed a good couple of hours in the park, just enjoying it and looking around. But the clouds began to darken and I knew that the Liverpool rain would start soon thereafter. So it was time to keep on with the journey. I moved down the path in a new direction. I wondered how big a mouse might feel next to the great wall. Even a badger would have been dwarfed underneath it.

As if the similarities between the park and the descriptions in the book were not enough, what lay in front of the walls was a long, open lawn with gardens strewn about and – despite the worsening weather – birds chirruping busily.

Then, as I rounded the bend in the path and made my way through a few more red sandstone pavilions and fixtures, which were starting to feel as familiar as they were welcoming, I came across a great pond. It was certainly large enough to have its own mysteries among the fish and plants. I imagined that on sunny days the pond would have been a favorite spot among the locals, with its overhanging trees casting cool shadows and the water providing a large area for the wind to stir the air and keep it cool.

Soon I made my way out of the park, but this was only the beginning of a long, long walk around the city. There was still a lot to be seen! Upon leaving through the front gate, I was feeling a little thirsty. Being in the Redwall mood, I thought about how abbeydwellers would probably head over to the cellars for a refreshing drink and to relax for a time. Certainly there would be a place like that nearby, right?

Yes, there was! In fact, it was right outside the entrance to the park. And the name of this fine establishment? The Abbey!

I walked in, sat at the bar and looked around. There were not many people present but it was comfortable and those who were there were evidently regulars. They chattered with the barkeeper about everything, from local affairs among peers to how quickly the world felt like it was moving. After a tall pint of Tetly's Ale and some more reading in the book I'd brought along, as well as a few happy minutes to myself and my thoughts while the weather passed, I paid the bill and decided it was time to leave the Cellars – erm, The Abbey.

Next, I wanted to see the large building that had dominated the landscape of the city from almost everywhere I walked that day. An enormous, red sandstone cathedral. It was about a three-mile (~5km) walk, but my shoes were comfortable and I could stop for food along the way if I so chose. I looked at a map to take me a good bit of the way there. But after some time, I realized that I could save a lot of energy by just walking toward the monstrous structure as I caught glimpses of it between buildings. If the buildings were trees, the approach would have been no different. I would still see the towering spire poking out here and there. When I emerged from the forest, the immensity of the structure was jaw-dropping: more than 600 feet (~190 m) long and 330 feet (100 m) tall; almost all one giant room on the inside, the church is its own superstructure. People were diminished to almost nothing when standing next to it. I wondered if this was how a woodlander stumbling upon the abbey for the first time would have felt? It certainly explained why every warlord in the world would want it for themselves!

I took my time walking slowly around the inside of the cathedral. Even this seemed familiar to me, much like how the inside of Great Hall appeared in my head. There was even writing carefully etched into the red sandstone bricks in some discrete areas. Not a far step from riddles hidden for a select few to discover...

Also featured within the cathedral was the tomb of an earl, which reminded me a lot of the tomb of martin the warrior.

Near the exit, there was a large tapestry on the wall which depicted a map of the surrounding region. Take a look at the Western half. Does its shape remind you of anywhere in particular?

As I left the Liverpool Cathedral, I realized that, given all the memories of Redwall this trip was triggering, I should see about taking a stroll over to where it all started: Liverpool's Royal School for the Blind. Brian Jacques wrote Redwall – an enormous 600+ page manuscript before it was published – for the students there, after all. It was another three-mile walk from the cathedral to the school, but I was both determined and enjoying the exercise. Besides, I was in the mentality that I was wandering through Mossflower Woods. I did not want to sully that by taking a bus! I was here to explore.

Along the way, the weather turned sour again and I had to take shelter from an extremely heavy downpour underneath a bridge passing over the road. Thankfully I had a rain jacket in my bag, so the weather only slowed me down momentarily. By the time I got to the Royal School for the Blind, the day had already opened up to blue skies again!

The gate to the building was open, but I decided to admire the institution and its story from the road. I don't think there would have been anybody there on a Saturday, anyway. Enjoying a leisurely stroll around the perimeter of the red-brick wall, I also stumbled across the delivery entrance. I.e. the gate Brian used when he would deliver milk to the school.

It stuck me, then, at just how little time each day must have been occupied by delivering milk to the school. It could have only been minutes if Brian had other deliveries to make. Yet this place really stuck with him and the people did, too. So he wrote a story for all the students inside and when his mentor caught wind of it, he sent it out for publishing. Just like that, one of the top 100 best-selling book series in all human history (I'm serious, look it up!) was born. And to think that it was all influenced by wandering around a beautiful city and wanting to do something nice for children. I've gotten to know a lot of truly good-hearted people on this site over the years. I've read some of the things you've written, too. I've seen the art you create, the websites you've designed, the role-playing tournaments you've held, listened to the podcasts and videos you've made. All of these things came about from the local milkman in Liverpool. So think to yourself: in your life, what little things have you noticed about where you live? What make the people you know interesting? Who would you love to do something nice for? Look what it did for Brian and his community. You can do that, too!

I'm including a picture of a billboard out front of the school here. It looks like they have lines for donations and outreach. Imagine how happy it would make the students and faculty of the school to hear about a series of new donations from the community surrounding Brian Jacques (www.rsblind.org).

So you might think this is the end of the trip. But there was one more thing that happened in my short weekend in Liverpool, and it happened the morning I left. You see, after I ate breakfast and packed my things, I made my way to the front desk. There, I did not find the lady who checked me in a few days before, but a man of a very different description. He was short, plump, had a shiny bald head and white goatee. Halfway down his nose sat a thin-framed pair of glasses, over which he peered at me with a smile. I wish you could have seen it, because it was enough to make me pause in the doorway and almost go wide-eyed. Like seeing the ghost of a man I had met ages ago on his Doomwyte book tour, it was a perfect doppelganger of Brian Jacques.

I tried to hide my surprise as I stepped toward the desk. "Hey there. I'd like to check out... please," I said, trying to find my voice again. It was an extremely eerie sight with all the things I had seen the day before; everything was fresh in my mind. The man was kind and we struck up a conversation. As we talked, he told me a few snippets of his life: PhD in mathematics and student of Dr. Stephen Hawking; fluent speaker of seven languages, and a handful more of elementary proficiency; world traveler but mostly a lover of Liverpool; history buff, and a friend to anybody who had a good story to tell. I distinctly remember having a score of questions buzzing through my head as I sat in his office and chatted with him.  But above all of them, I just had to ask,

"This may sound a little strange. But one of the reasons I wanted to visit Liverpool was to see some landmarks my favorite childhood author used for inspiration in his books. And, well, has anybody ever told you that you look..."

The old man held up his hand and I paused. "Like Brian?" he said with a smile. "Yeah, I've heard it a few times. Here an' there."

"Was he popular around here?"

"Oh yeah, he was pretty popular. 'Could walk down the street like anyone else, though."

"I see... did you know him? You really look just like him!"

"Haha! I met him a few times. He definitely had a presence in this city, a real good man."

We talked on for a little while longer. But at some point, I made myself stand up. I had only a small bit of time left before I had to be back at the airport. So I shook the man's hand and handed him my room key. The handshake was real, but I still could not shake the feeling that I was speaking with a ghost. But no matter, the shock of the encounter would keep it in my memory for years to come. I put on my bag and paused momentarily at the front door to make sure I was not forgetting anything. I heard the old man greeting another guest behind me. I never asked him all the questions I wanted to, but my airplane would not wait. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the open air.

[Sebias of Redwall]

That. Is. Awesome!!!

[MathLuk]

I wish I knew of Redwall and Brian before I went to Liverpool.

[The Skarzs]

Wow. That was incredible. Thank you for sharing all the pictures and the stories with us. They truly came from your heart. You've experienced something I believe 99.99% of the readers of Brian's books have never even had half a chance you do. I know you consider yourself blessed and fortunate to have been able to do so. I almost felt like I was there looking through your eyes as I read your words.

[Tungro]

That was truly amazing and a joy to read!
My sisters were in England and I wish I would have remembered to tell them about Stanley Park...

[Broof]

Great read, thank you!  I really should make a trip there sometime this year as I only live about 40 miles from Liverpool and used to go there every weekend,  but for some reason I never got around to going to Stanley Park.

[The Grey Coincidence]

 For some reason I can't quote...
"in Europe, I decided that it might be fun to do some traveling around from country to country on the weekends"
My life in a nutshell. Personally I was never particularly impressed by Liverpool (it could be because I never visited *after* reading Redwall *grumblegrumbleangrymumble* but boy did you advertise- I feel like a lot of people reading this will now have this insatiable itch to follow in your footsteps XD

[Captain Tammo]

Aw, thanks you guys, I'm happy you all liked reading it! If any of you visit Liverpool any time soon, you'll have to share it with the rest of us and tell us about what you saw

[Hazelsqueak]

Wow, very interesting! Thank you so much for sharing. I didn't know most of that.

[MeadowR]

What an interesting read - thanks for sharing, Tammo!

Really do need to take a trip back up there sometime. (I have visited the cathedral before.)

[Ungatt Trunn]

It's cool that you were able to relive the magic of Redwall in your trip...

[DanielofRedwall]

Can't believe I only read this now - beautifully written! Thanks mate.