Most will have heard of the ninenteenth-century French author, Jules Verne, if not read some of his novels (including Around the World in Eighty Days, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Centre of the Earth).  You may not, however, be aware that his first visit outside of France was to Liverpool and Birkenhead, and that he set parts of several of his novels in Birkenhead!  John Lamb will be telling us more.

(Image: Jules Verne by Harry Furniss. pen and ink, late 19th or early 20th century. NPG D1643,  Used under Creative Commons licence from National Portrait Gallery)