Love, love me do. You know I love you...

Liverpool has her ticket to ride after the city became the European capital of culture for 2008. Everything is going gangbusters for this historically important sea faring capital, which for 200 years was at the centre of transatlantic shipping. Liverpool provided the last glimpse of Europe for many millions of people emigrating to the new world as they sailed off to North America or Australia to start new lives. The level of construction at the site of Liverpool one is on a monumental scale, and the original catalyst for the rebirth of this magnificent city has been the world renowned renovations to Albert Dock completed in the early 1980's. If you pay a visit to Albert Dock there is plenty to see and do, including the Beatles story museum and the Merseyside Maritime museum which are both in the heart of this beautiful part of the city.

The last journal left off in Edinburgh, and the hits just keep on coming. I caught the train down to Manchester to spend an afternoon exploring Liverpool's close neighbour and sometime rival. Once again I'm stunned by the beauty of the city centre, which is a mixture of the old and the new giving Manchester a futuristic and edgy atmosphere. There are many impressive looking glass buildings and the obligatory giant wheel has also been built in the city centre. It's very interesting to travel on the train in the north west of England, as all the cities are packed very close together but are instantly recognisable as being the home of famous football teams from one code or another. From Manchester it's only 34 miles and an hour on the train west to Merseyside and the legendary city of Liverpool.

Spending three days in the city has been a dream come true for me, partly due to Liverpool's historical significance as a great port city, and also because it's the birthplace of the fab four who comprised the greatest rock and roll band in history. I've spent my time visiting Liverpool in a constant state of excitement, while constantly singing Beatles tunes that are being played all over the city. During my band days I used to spend countless hours on the guitar analysing the chord structures of The Beatles songs, and constantly marvelled at the genius of the progressions written by Lennon and Macartney. They are without question the greatest songwriting partnership in rock and roll history, and a huge inspiration to myself and probably every other budding guitarist or songwriter throughout the world. In a nutshell those two Liverpool lads are my musical heroes.

So this is where it all started, the home of the legendary Merseybeat that became the envy of the music world. At the height of the Liverpool scene there were over 700 bands plying their trade on Merseyside in the early 1960's, but destiny called on four young lads who worked harder, had more talent and charisma, and with a little dash of lady luck thrown in burst on to the world music stage in 1963. Beatlemania gripped music fans around the world like no other band has managed before or since, and it all started right here in Liverpool. I went to The Beatles story museum which was a great experience and a very comprehensive summary of the legendary careers of the fab four, it features full size replicas of the legendary Cavern club and also the Casbah room built in the basement of a parent's house. As you progress through the exhibition there is all the information and memorabilia any Beatles fan could ever hope for, and I left with a lot more knowledge of the fab four than before I entered while also having great fun in the museum.

Then it was off on to the magical mystery tour bus, which visits the boyhood homes of the fab four. The bus passes by their schools, the parish hall where John and Paul first met, the gateway to Strawberry field and Penny lane itself. What impressed me so much as I learnt about these young lads was their infectious charm and love of their home town. They were Liverpool lads through and through and extremely proud of it. The bus dropped us off at the end of the tour on Matthew street which is the home of the legendary Cavern club, where The Beatles played over 295 gigs during a two and a half year period before being signed to their first recording deal. The cavern quickly became the most famous live music venue in the world. The fab four really honed their craft to a fine art (including the long gigs they were contracted to perform daily while in Munich) before signing with a music label and releasing their first single Love me do in 1963. The rest, as they say, is history.

The next day I visited the Merseyside Maritime museum on Albert Dock, which is also home to the International slavery museum. This fascinating day of free exploring helped me gain an appreciation of the importance of Liverpool as a sea faring city. The Titanic and her sister ships were fitted out here in Liverpool prior to sailing out to their eventual doom, and Liverpool was the major city in England for voyages to the New World for close to 200 years. It has only been since the 1960's that Southampton has eclipsed Liverpool as a sea faring city, but the magnificent history of the city and the superb refurbishment of Albert Dock, along with the massive construction boom coming from being the capital of European culture mean Liverpool is striding confidently into the future.

The turnaround in the north of England in the last twenty years has been nothing short of miraculous. I'm stunned by the level of construction activity in Manchester and particularly in Liverpool, and the European capital of culture is in the middle of an extraordinary construction boom. Liverpool one is slated for opening in October 2008 and the new museum will follow shortly after on Albert Dock. It has been a fantastic experience visiting the country in the midst of such an exciting time for the residents, and a return visit when the construction is complete would be mind boggling. So plee-ee-ee-ease ... as the fab four once sang, come and experience Liverpool where,............. basically all of you should be here now!

"We are all touched by it. Peace and love." The Beatles announcing the band's split in 1970

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
YHA Liverpool International - Liverpool, England
Love saves the day cafe - Manchester, England
Everyman bistro - Liverpool, England

Top 3 Sights/Activities
Albert Dock - Liverpool, England
Magical mystery tour - Liverpool, England
Merseyside Maritime and International slavery museum - Liverpool, England

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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