IN September, Bernard Pumphrey spoke about Heritage Cities. He chose Liverpool, Bath and Wells.

Mr Pumphrey said that, on the face of it, Liverpool might seem a strange choice but this was a city with a great history, a beautiful city which was once the third most prosperous in the British Empire.

He showed slides of the docks, once busy with ships, which covered the globe, trading in goods and, at one time, slaves.

It was from Liverpool that the ill-fated White Star linerTitanic set sail.

The magnificent Cunard building was erected in 1913.

Further along the docks is the site of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, with its domed roof. The Anglican cathedral was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. An imposing tower nearby is the airshaft to the Mersey Tunnel.

In the centre of the city are the twin towers of Lime Street Station and St George's Hall.

In Derek Hatton's time this spectacular building was left to rot, said Mr Pumphrey, but when he was ousted from office, the SDLP opened the hall to the public, who were stunned by its magnificence. Funds were set up for its restoration to its former glory.

The Albert Dock is now cleaned and reglazed. It houses a Titanic exhibition and some high-class apartments. The old Liverpool pilot ship is now on show, as is the ''Mersey Scrubber'', a vehicle that used to clean the Mersey Tunnel (now pressure sprayed).

There are notable parish churches. Our Lady and St Nicholas dates from 1360. In 1811, a new steeple was erected that carried a light to warn shipping in bad weather.

Near the airport is Speke Hall, which dates from Tudor times. In King Henry VIII's time, the Knollys who lived there was Groom of the Stool, an unpleasant task but one ensuring close contact with the king!

There are two cathedrals. The Anglican, designed by Gilbert Scott, dates from the early 1900s. The Roman Catholic cathedral is known to Liverpuddlians as Paddy's Wigwam because of its distinctive shape.

Bath, then called Aquae Sulis, dates from Roman times. The Roman baths have been much reconstructed over the years but some windows are known to date from the time of Diocletian.

In the 18th century it was the place to go where all ills could be cured.

The Pump Room dates from 1795. This was the place where the upper classes took the waters.

Bath Abbey is a fine building with its great oak doors, fan vaulting and stained glass windows. In 973 Edgar, the first king of the English, was crowned there.

Bath is noted for its Georgian architecture in Queen's Square, The Crescent and the Circus.

The Prince Regent rented Number 1, The Crescent, which is now open to the public.

The Assembly Rooms were opened in 1771. They now house a large museum of costume.

Although renowned for its architecture, Bath has an industrial past. The old foundry is now a museum.

Wells is arguably the smallest cathedral city in England. The west front of the cathedral is decorated with fine, medieval sculptures. It has an astronomical clock that dates from the 14th century.

Vicars Close is reputed to be the oldest, continually inhabited street in England.

In the past, Wells was a powerful city. It is now usually associated with Bath as in the Bishop of Bath and Wells.