The Florrie

A beautifully restored grade-II high Victorian building, the Florrie’s recent re-opening after a £6 million refurb, is a shot in the arm for this deprived corner of the city.

Built in 1889 by Sir Bernard Hall a West Indies merchant, Alderman and former Mayor of Liverpool, the Florrie began life as a boys club, to provide education and welfare. The two great working-class escapes – sport and music – played an important role in the city’s heyday of boxing and pop music.

The distinctive red bricked building is now home to a library – where you can explore the area’s chequered local history, and a heritage resource centre. When Price Charles visited, having supported The Florrie’s restoration, he also popped across the road to sample the Guinness.

The Florrie also has a number of unlikely events too. In 2016 Jimmy Cauty of the KLF, Steve Davies (the snooker chap), poet Black Ice, footballer John Barnes, musician Mick Head and actor Ricky Tomlinson have all visited – making for one of the most eclectic live performance rosters in Liverpool. There are regular exhibitions and screenings too.

There’s a diverse programme of events most days, ensuring the venerable building back into the heart of the community again. Choose from art classes, family history talks, adult literacy, knitting, film nights, music, sport… The Florrie is once again the recreational and cultural focal point for the community in Toxteth – just as was envisaged 130 years ago.