Liverpool: Home of the Beatles
Originally published March 19th, 2016.
Ah Liverpool, one of the many historic cities within England, and one which forms a vital part of the country’s musical culture. I was initially excited to visit because I wanted to see some of the coastline and the ocean, which I hadn’t seen since leaving Australia two months ago. I also find it interesting to see how different many of the cities are within the UK, given how close many of them actually are. Another reason for visiting (and one that also draws many tourists) was the history of the city including the history and influence of the Beatles. In a city that could so easily be overshadowed by what was a total cultural phenomenon it truly doesn’t, as there’s much more to Liverpool than meets the eye.
We were lucky enough have a rare influx of sunny weather during our visit, which gave it a much needed lift in the winter atmosphere. Like many I grew up listening to the Beatles and I fondly remember listening over and over again to a Beatles cassette tape given to me by my dad when I was little. I was lucky enough to have a lot of exposure to music from my dad at an early age, as well as my mother who would often play a very much loved greatest hits album on most of our road trips. So to be standing in the city which was reflected in the music and knowing how much this band means to many, it was quite extraordinary to be visiting some of these places.
We began our day bright and early, stopping in the shopping district for coffee and breakfast, eventually making our way down to Albert Dock where we began our Magical Mystery Tour of Liverpool. The tour visits places that were central to the history of the Beatles as well as other musical facts about the city. The guide had a lot of ground to cover and did with complete ease, even if you’re not a massive Beatles fan, the tour is well worth it and you get to see many parts of the city that you wouldn’t otherwise. I think as well it’s very cool to see the places related to the band, because so many modern day artists were influenced by them. A brilliant way to celebrate rock and pop music!
One of the first stops on the tour was a visit driving past The Empress. The Pub featured on the front cover of the album Sentimental Journey, released in 1970 by Ringo Starr and is located just around the corner from his place of birth. One of our stops shortly after was of course the famous Penny Lane, no Beatles tour would be complete without it! Below is the front of the house which George Harrison grew up in, most of the houses are still occupied today (so if you do happen to visit be respectful of this).
Strawberry Fields Forever is one of my favourite Beatles songs, but I have to admit that I’d never really given too much thought to its origin or the backstory behind the name. It used to be a Salvation Army children’s home and has had various occupations over the years. If you go on a tour you will get to hear more of the story to this brilliant piece of Liverpool history.
After several other stops on the tour, each with their own parts in the Liverpool related facets of the Beatles history, we ended back in the heart of the city on Mathew Street. After thanking our guides we headed over to explore the historic Cavern Club, which many music fans would know for its long history. The club has played host to many historic music names over the years, many of which are engraved on one of the walls outside.
We had a peek inside of the Cavern Pub to see what was down there, and we were excited to see all the memorabilia that is adorned along the walls. Many of the artists were of a wide variety and came from many aspects of musical history, well worth a visit, regardless of your musical tastes. The above image features the engraved wall which I mentioned earlier, so many big names up there!
After checking out some Beatles memorabilia, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon wandering about and exploring other parts of the city. We were luckily enough that the city was still basking in some sunny weather, which made for a nice atmosphere. We visited one of the many libraries and took in the exterior architecture, back home I honestly can’t think of anywhere that has a historical building of this size, the buildings are absolutely huge! We even discovered a few of the museums and took our time to explore whilst winding down during the afternoon. Shortly after we grabbed an early dinner and eventually made our way home, what a fantastic day, again it was a brilliant experience to explore new areas of the UK! Thanks for reading and till next time, I can’t wait to share a post from my recent trip to Northern Wales!
Kathleen Freeman is a graphic designer and freelance writer; she is currently undertaking a Media and Communications degree. In her spare time she continues the search to find the book/coffee shop combination store throughout the globe.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Kathleen Freeman, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author.