Liverpool : Beatles Tour
Aug 23rd, 2007, 09:35 AM
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Liverpool : Beatles Tour
We will be in Liverpool for the day while on a trip to the UK.
We are huge Beatles fans and will be going on the National Trust tours of John and Paul's homes.
But we would like to take a general Beatles tour while in Liverpool and there seems to be a few of them. I did read about the Magical Mystery Tour that some of you have gone on and that is a contender. But wanted to see if anyone had been on any others that are out there?
Thanks,
eacandrmc
We are huge Beatles fans and will be going on the National Trust tours of John and Paul's homes.
But we would like to take a general Beatles tour while in Liverpool and there seems to be a few of them. I did read about the Magical Mystery Tour that some of you have gone on and that is a contender. But wanted to see if anyone had been on any others that are out there?
Thanks,
eacandrmc
Aug 23rd, 2007, 10:34 AM
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I took the Magical Mystery Tour bus years ago and loved it.
But i'm also hoping to return to Liverpool and would like info on this tour as it is today and others.
When i took it it was a rather dumpy bus with a very cheap tape player playing Beatles tunes - rather tacky but loved the commentary and sights such as Strawberry Field and the Penny Lane things.
But i'm also hoping to return to Liverpool and would like info on this tour as it is today and others.
When i took it it was a rather dumpy bus with a very cheap tape player playing Beatles tunes - rather tacky but loved the commentary and sights such as Strawberry Field and the Penny Lane things.
Aug 23rd, 2007, 12:18 PM
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I know nothing about Beatles tours.
But in keeping with the spirit both of this site ("never pay for a tour when you do it yourself"
, and of early 60s Liverpool, when everything revolved round getting the last bus, I strongly recommend this leaflet:
http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/artic...les%202007.pdf
It tells you how to get round the Beatles sites we way we - and they - all used to.
Having said which, I now split my life between three cities with hop-on, hop off tour buses. The passengers always look bemused and glum. But a week or so back, I kept on being passed by Liverpool DUKW Tours (www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk)
I've no idea whether they're any good. But almost everyone on the DUKW had a dirty great smile all over their face. Which I never see in London or Oxford.
But in keeping with the spirit both of this site ("never pay for a tour when you do it yourself"
, and of early 60s Liverpool, when everything revolved round getting the last bus, I strongly recommend this leaflet:http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/artic...les%202007.pdf
It tells you how to get round the Beatles sites we way we - and they - all used to.
Having said which, I now split my life between three cities with hop-on, hop off tour buses. The passengers always look bemused and glum. But a week or so back, I kept on being passed by Liverpool DUKW Tours (www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk)
I've no idea whether they're any good. But almost everyone on the DUKW had a dirty great smile all over their face. Which I never see in London or Oxford.
Aug 24th, 2007, 08:11 AM
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We're huge Beatles fans too and when we were in
Liverpool, we went to the "Beatles Story" - a museum with lots of fascinating information. You can get information here:
www.beatlesstory.com
We didn't do the Magical Mystery Tour, although I saw a TV segment about on the Lonely Planet show, looked like fun.
Liverpool, we went to the "Beatles Story" - a museum with lots of fascinating information. You can get information here:
www.beatlesstory.com
We didn't do the Magical Mystery Tour, although I saw a TV segment about on the Lonely Planet show, looked like fun.
Aug 24th, 2007, 08:40 AM
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Penny Lane isn't going to get its name changed. The manifest absurdity of that particular idea, I'm delighted to say, stopped the whole series of other proposed politically correct name changes in Liverpool. Once people get it into their heads that the Beatles song, decades of dates meeting each other at the Penny Lane bus shelter and the career of Mr Penny are all part of our history, they realise that rewriting it is something best left to Orwell's Ministry of Truth.
No, I lived several miles away, more or less next door to Percy Phillips' electrical shop that had a tatty studio in the back. Proper grammar schools aren't local: typically they get their intake from all over the conurbation.
No, I lived several miles away, more or less next door to Percy Phillips' electrical shop that had a tatty studio in the back. Proper grammar schools aren't local: typically they get their intake from all over the conurbation.
Aug 24th, 2007, 08:52 AM
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We've been on the Magical Mystery Tour Twice, and we visited the McCartney house before the National Trust acquired the Lennon house. We're living in London this fall and in a few weeks we'll be taking university students to Liverpool, where we've booked them on all these activities.
The National Trust properties are beautifully done and the McCartney house was extremely atmospheric (enhanced by photographs taken by Paul's brother Michael and taped quotes from Michael, Paul, and I believe a few other relatives).
The Magical Mystery Tour is a great way to see basic Beatles sites--Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, one house associated with each Beatle and Brian Epstein, and lots of other Beatle-related sites such as the (former?) registry office where John and Cynthia were married, what used to be the Art College where John and Cynthia met, Gambier Terrace, where John moved in with Stuart Sutcliffe, and the sites of several early gigs. These sites are far enough apart that if you wanted to see them on your own, you'd need a car. The guides vary somewhat in quality, however, which is my only misgiving about the Tour.
There is a good map called "Lennon's Liverpool," which identifies a lot more sites. It's definitely worth getting if you're a fan. At one point, we noticed an attractive old building, and when I looked at the map, I discovered it had once been a private lying-in hospital. Brian Epstein was born there!
In summary, I think the MMT is a reasonable way to see the major sites in a short time, but it's true that there is much more to see as well.
The National Trust properties are beautifully done and the McCartney house was extremely atmospheric (enhanced by photographs taken by Paul's brother Michael and taped quotes from Michael, Paul, and I believe a few other relatives).
The Magical Mystery Tour is a great way to see basic Beatles sites--Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, one house associated with each Beatle and Brian Epstein, and lots of other Beatle-related sites such as the (former?) registry office where John and Cynthia were married, what used to be the Art College where John and Cynthia met, Gambier Terrace, where John moved in with Stuart Sutcliffe, and the sites of several early gigs. These sites are far enough apart that if you wanted to see them on your own, you'd need a car. The guides vary somewhat in quality, however, which is my only misgiving about the Tour.
There is a good map called "Lennon's Liverpool," which identifies a lot more sites. It's definitely worth getting if you're a fan. At one point, we noticed an attractive old building, and when I looked at the map, I discovered it had once been a private lying-in hospital. Brian Epstein was born there!
In summary, I think the MMT is a reasonable way to see the major sites in a short time, but it's true that there is much more to see as well.
Aug 24th, 2007, 08:58 AM
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<Occasionally the dottier Irish nuns at school>
are 'proper grammar schools' run by Irish nuns?
sounds like a parochial school or are they allowed to masquerade as grammar schools? In which case the Catholic school would be a public school (with a small p - in the American sense)
are 'proper grammar schools' run by Irish nuns?
sounds like a parochial school or are they allowed to masquerade as grammar schools? In which case the Catholic school would be a public school (with a small p - in the American sense)
Aug 24th, 2007, 09:02 AM
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I found the Beatles Story extremely off-putting -- I don't have much stomach for the sort of museum that doesn't have any ACTUAL artifacts in it, just recreations and reproductions. I found just visiting the sites to be much more fulfilling of whatever it was that I was expecting -- Beatles fans are all a little crazy, you know. And I am one.
The National Trust tour is absolutely not to be missed. Even if you had never heard the name "Paul McCartney", his house is a slice of life for millions of Britons who grew up in council estates. Contrary to what I said above, it's all a recreation, but the site is real, and for the Beatles fan, standing in front of the hearth where John and Paul first thumped out "I Saw Her Standing There" is pretty unbelievable.
Sadly, most of the fabric of Beatles Liverpool is gone. They didn't rename Penny Lane (which would make about as much sense as tearing down the Eiffel Tower or Westminster Abbey), but they did fill in The Cavern, and so on. But if you go to Ye Cracke (a charming pub), a fellow might try to sell you a gob of chewing gum from under the table that Lennon chewed!
The National Trust tour is absolutely not to be missed. Even if you had never heard the name "Paul McCartney", his house is a slice of life for millions of Britons who grew up in council estates. Contrary to what I said above, it's all a recreation, but the site is real, and for the Beatles fan, standing in front of the hearth where John and Paul first thumped out "I Saw Her Standing There" is pretty unbelievable.
Sadly, most of the fabric of Beatles Liverpool is gone. They didn't rename Penny Lane (which would make about as much sense as tearing down the Eiffel Tower or Westminster Abbey), but they did fill in The Cavern, and so on. But if you go to Ye Cracke (a charming pub), a fellow might try to sell you a gob of chewing gum from under the table that Lennon chewed!
Aug 24th, 2007, 09:09 AM
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Grammar schools - the better ones anyway - were, before bloody Maggie ruined them, self-governing establishments providing 11-18 yo education to the less doltish in a city. Although publicly funded, one of the reasons they worked was that they weren't subject to local political interference, and were directly controlled by central government.
By definition therefore the kind of retarded Irish nuns who taught in primary schools (= US parochial schools) weren't qualified to teach in them. The Catholic grammar schools that dominated education for the Irish, Italians and Poles in Britain's bigger cities were mostly managed either by Jesuits or Christian Brothers.
By definition therefore the kind of retarded Irish nuns who taught in primary schools (= US parochial schools) weren't qualified to teach in them. The Catholic grammar schools that dominated education for the Irish, Italians and Poles in Britain's bigger cities were mostly managed either by Jesuits or Christian Brothers.
Aug 24th, 2007, 09:25 AM
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Kirkby. Pronounced Kirby, but spelt differently.
Well at least my Liverpool fan uncle (RIP), who's buried at the Catholic end of the cemetery (the end closest to Goodison) will finally stop turning in that grave.
Well at least my Liverpool fan uncle (RIP), who's buried at the Catholic end of the cemetery (the end closest to Goodison) will finally stop turning in that grave.
Aug 24th, 2007, 10:39 AM
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Somewhere I have a book with a picture of Paul wearing a ludicrous red Liverpool rosette almost as big as he was. Not to say it wasn't foisted on him by a photographer's assistant, but it doesn't suggest "Everton fan" to me. He's said his family were Everton supporters but he wasn't keen. I think the Fabs made a point of not taking sides on that issue.
Confusingly, there is a "West Kirby" which IS spelled k-i-r-b-y but is nowhere near Kirkby. When announced at the train station these places and others are all pronounced "nur hurr kkkkhh hurr".
Confusingly, there is a "West Kirby" which IS spelled k-i-r-b-y but is nowhere near Kirkby. When announced at the train station these places and others are all pronounced "nur hurr kkkkhh hurr".
Aug 24th, 2007, 10:59 AM
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Ah, now here's a Beatle fact that's never appeared in public, as far as I'm aware.
Before the 1986 Cup Final - which as every fule kno, was the first-ever Liverpool-Everton final - I twisted more arms than any Mafia don to get tickets for the clan. My dad ended up sitting right behind McCartney, who didn't get to get into the really posh seats.
Predictably for my family, dad didn't recognise Paul. But my brother, sitting in the next seat, did. And - though an Evertonian - conceded that:
- McCartney had no rosette, and
- was just as unmoved when Everton went into the interval one goal up as when they ended the match 3-1 down.
As my brother put it to me "he's obviously about as interested in football as you are".
Before the 1986 Cup Final - which as every fule kno, was the first-ever Liverpool-Everton final - I twisted more arms than any Mafia don to get tickets for the clan. My dad ended up sitting right behind McCartney, who didn't get to get into the really posh seats.
Predictably for my family, dad didn't recognise Paul. But my brother, sitting in the next seat, did. And - though an Evertonian - conceded that:
- McCartney had no rosette, and
- was just as unmoved when Everton went into the interval one goal up as when they ended the match 3-1 down.
As my brother put it to me "he's obviously about as interested in football as you are".
