Beatlemania
The drive from Wrexham took about an hour, with the Queensway Tunnel carrying us beneath the River Mersey & into the heart of Liverpool.
We left the car in a parking garage & walked a short distance to The Vibe Plant Based Café, where Amanda ordered a hazelnut hot chocolate.
For breakfast Amanda ordered faux Ferrero Rocher pancakes, which ended up being too sweet.
Figuring it was nearly autumn, I skipped the mocha in favor of a pumpkin spiced latte, which was a bit disappointing to be honest.
Thankfully the tofu egg scramble & whipped avocado on sourdough toast were really good. After yesterday’s stellar lunch at Lot 11 in Wrexham, The Vibe was a bit underwhelming.
The Beatles Statue along the waterfront.
At the nearby Royal Albert Docks we boarded our Magical Mystery Tour bus for the 12:30 tour.
From the bus looking down at 9 Madryn St (near the end on the left) where Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) was born in the "Welsh Streets" area of Toxteth/Dingle. The next street to the right is Powis St, which was a major filming location for Peaky Blinders.
He moved about 2 blocks away to 10 Admiral Grove where he lived as a small child until The Beatles found fame. This Ringo Star mural on High Park St sits between the two houses.
Penny Lane “beneath the blue suburban skies.”
The old fire house near Penny lane has been converted to housing but retains elements of its original purpose.
Penny Lane, there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
Our bus stopped next in front of this pub to visit George’s birth home. The tour guide said we could use their loo if needed—the irony was not lost on him! 😂
George Harrison was born on this cul-de-sac in the modest two-up two-down Victorian terraced house with the blue plaque at 12 Arnold Grove.
John Lennon regularly "bunked" over the stone perimeter wall to explore the wild, unmanicured gardens of the Salvation Army children's home (orphanage) at Strawberry Field.
John added an “s” to the song title Strawberry Fields Forever. He used to sit in a particular tree there, thus the lyric, “No one I think is in my tree.”
He lived with his Aunt Mimi at the time & she used to get upset with his visits. He was dismissive, saying no one was going to hang him for it, thus the lyric, “And nothing to get hung about.”
The semi-detached property at 251 Menlove Ave, which belonged to John Lennon's Aunt Mimi and her husband George Smith. John moved here at the age of five after his mother was persuaded it would be better for him to live with his aunt. The house was closed for filming. They are currently filming four movies, one about each of the Fab Four. Apparently, the idea is to see all four films & thereby collectively “experience” The Beatles.
Our final stop was here where the McCartney family lived in a modest mid-terraced home at #20.
Paul’s room was above the front door & it was here that he & John wrote and rehearsed many of their early songs.
Paul’s mother was a midwife who was often called Mother Mary, so the lyric is about her rather than the Virgin Mary:
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Our Magical Mystery Bus with driver Dale and guide Del (our photographer).
The Cavern Club was the Beatles’ spiritual home in Liverpool, where they played nearly 300 shows & developed the energetic live sound that helped launch them from local favorites to international stars.
The club was built in the basement of a warehouse on Mathew St, where the existing brick-vaulted cellar provided an inexpensive, naturally sound-insulated space for a jazz & rock-and-roll club.
The subterranean setting also helped create the dark, intimate, almost cave-like atmosphere that became part of the Cavern’s identity—and its name. Check out this Local Group!
Today, there is still live music on everyday. I will come as no surprise though that during peak tourist hours playing The Beatles is obligatory
I think this is meant to look spiritual or inspirational, but it comes off creepy.
