There were happy faces everywhere as the sun shone on a full house and the Blues won... it was the perfect start for Everton's new home

One young Everton fan had been in awe of the stadium having caught a glimpse from the train heading into the nearby Sandhills station.

- BY CHRIS MCKENNA

“WHICH way is it, dad?”

But as he disembarked hed lost his bearings.

“This way, son,” said the dad as he pointed to the sign at the exit of the train station.

A new journey was underway for two Toffees fans of different generations as the Blues headed into a new era on Bramley Moore Dock.

The sun had broken through the clouds as supporters made their way down Regent Road and towards the dock walls which sit as the perimeter to the stunning sight that is Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The bright rays bounced off the steel top of the £750m structure as fans queued to get into the Budweiser Fan Plaza, with blue signage instead of the brand's usual red.

Other supporters filled the nearby bars. Some new ones like The Terrace and Bluehouse. Some old like The Bramley Moore.

Landlady Angela Burns has kept the doors open for over two decades when times got so hard barely one punter would be in on some nights.

Once an area of hustle and bustle with plenty of establishments during the dockland’s heyday, it was until recently only the Bramley Moore which survived. They will have competition now with more bars to pop up, some being worked on yesterday as fans walked past, and the club's sponsored plaza offering plenty as well.

But there is a feeling within the walls of the old pub that it could now be a goldmine and a fan favourite, the new stadium's version of the Wilmslow Hotel which stands across from Goodison Park, Everton's now former home.