Liverpool Recap

---

While we have a little time on the train from Liverpool to London, am writing an update on our adventures from yesterday.

On Tuesday, we left London Shepherds Bush for Euston Station about 0830. I note this because rush hour on the tube is an adventure all by itself: an incredible mass of humanity pressing ahead full speed on escalators and stairs, then squeezing a truly amazing number of people into the subway cars. We were glad to reach our train, where we had room to breathe.
The ride from London, a little over two hours, was relaxing. Saw a lot of the English countryside, with large green fields, tree groves, pastures full of cows, and cottages, many of which were separated by hedge rows.

We arrived about 1220. Liverpool is a bustling port city, and everyone and everything was on the move. What a great energy! We walked down Lime Street through the heart of the city to the Mersey River docks, where our hotel was located. The docks themselves are magnificent, with row after row of giant brick warehouses that have been converted to shops, restaurants, hotels, and event centers. We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed for our first event in the home of The Beatles.

The Magical Mystery Tour is a two hour coach tour (with the coach painted in the style of the real Magical Mystery Tour bus) of the most important Beatles sites. Our guide, Jay, is a native Liverpudlian, former Mod, and kid brother of the lead singer of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. He also went to school at the Quarry Bank High School, the same school as John Lennon and the one that gave rise to the original group name, The Quarrymen. Jay had great stories through the whole tour, and when he wasn't talking, the coach was filled with Beatles music.

We really got to see it all, even if some of it was from the coach: childhood homes of all four Beatles, the church where John and Paul first met, the graveyard where Elenor Rigby is buried, the theatre where The Beatles last played Liverpool, Strawberry Fields, and Penny Lane (the shelter in the roundabout, the barber shop, and the bank mentioned in the song are all still there). We stopped at four places, and I have posted pictures from these.

It may not sound like that much, but Jay's stories really brought The Beatles' early period to life for us. The experience was really moving. There was a lot of joy in seeing and standing in the places that The Beatles started their lives and their music. There was also a lot of sadness in thinking about how it all fell apart and John's and George's early deaths. In between was all of the incredible music they created in just a few short years. The history may be more recent than our other stops, but it was still amazing and overwhelming...lots of goosebumps and a few tears.

The tour ended in the Cavern District, which houses the world's only Beatles-themed hotel (A Hard Day's Night) as well as a number of shops. Andrew immediately spotted a music store, where he played Beatles' songs in Liverpool -- he was very happy! From there, it was on to THE site: The Cavern Club.

We stepped into door of the club and descended two floors into the venue and adjacent bar. The stage and room are very cramped -- maybe 15 feet wide and 60 feet long. No matter. Directly in front of us was the stage where The Beatles performed over 250 times in two years. It was just incredible. Andrew and I had a drink and just soaked it all in.

By then we were hungry, so we decided to find a pub we passed on the tour: Philharmonic Dining, across the street from the Liverpool Philharmonic. Jay told us that John Lennon was once asked if there was a downside to his fame. John replied that he couldn't go "the Phil" for a drink anymore. After a pretty good walk, Andrew and I found the Phil, ate dinner, and toasted John Lennon at his favorite pub.

We returned to the Cavern Club. They were between acts, so we went across Mathew Street to the Cavern Pub, a smaller venue loaded with memorabilia from artists who performed at the Cavern Club over the years, from Roy Orbison to Adele. We arrived just as Tony Skeggs (just one guy, guitar and vocals) started performing. He was great! For over two hours we listened to and sang along with dozens of classic songs from the 60s (of course, lots of Beatles tunes). Everyone was happily singing, which energized the singer...all of which made for a magical night. We left about 2330 and walked back to our hotel.

This hotel was so much better than the box in London. However, it did not have air conditioning, so I opened the (screenless) window to cool the room. After about 15 minutes, Andrew noticed that about 100 mosquitos had joined us, lining the ceiling and wall by the light. We set about killing them all before going to bed. Andrew was quite the hunter. It must have been enough because we woke up without a bite.

After breakfast, we headed to The Beatles Story, an exhibit showing the lives of The Beatles from the beginning through the present. There was a lot of memorabilia, particularly from the early years -- guitars, drum kits, records, clothing, newspapers, photos, etc. Walking through the timeline of their lives was incredible. Again, very moving.

From there, we visited Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, which is the largest Anglican and 5th largest church in the world. It was imposing from the outside, and the inside was immense and beautiful.

The visit to Liverpool was the perfect culmination of our trip. We learned from Jay that artists born in Liverpool have had 52 number one hits -- more than any place in the world. Getting to spend time in such a place was great, and to walk the streets where The Beatles walked and playing was just magic.

---

Comments

[Bob]

OMG!!!
I can't believe James and I wasted all of our time at the British Museum, Westminster Abby, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, St. James Place, the Tower Bridge, Windsor Castle, The Crown Jewels, The London Zoo, Thames River Boat Ride, Big Ben Tower, Double Decker Bus Tour, Harrods, and etc., when we could have gone to Liverpool! Guess we'll just have to go back...