You've seen Liverpool in the movies many times, but you probably didn't recognise it. Hands up who saw Captain America? Well, the scene where he dives into the dock to chase the evil villain escaping in his mini-sub was shot right here.

Liverpool's fine old buildings and elegant architecture mean it has been a stunt double for lots of other places (e.g. Moscow in The Hunt for Red October) and times (Victorian London in Sherlock Holmes). It features in the credits of blockbusters such as The Dark Knight, Chariots of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

It has a dark side to its past too... Liverpool used to be a major slave trading port, but today it's vibrant and upbeat, with an excellent city centre.

The pic is of the main buildings at the Pier Head; my mum used to work n the middle one (H M Customs). Back in those days the city's reputation was somewhat grim... a dark, smoky city with not much going for it, and with no hint of its future film star status.