LOCATION: Liverpool
What's happening?
A little heads up- would be good to know if there is a cruise ship in Port on your dates of visit- the extra 2 000 mature Beatles visitors impacts venues and availability.
Not to worry - we found our way around and amped up our Beatle knowledge a tad. So many references in venue names and streets, so many statues and posters - they lads were everywhere. There was a busker on every corner - and if there was a Beatle statue nearby - the Beatle's discography was their playlist
The Adventure
So much joy in simplest things. Started the day with ironing (what a sense of satisfaction that was) and doubled down on joy by hitting the kitchen and cooking breakfast at home. Ah, bliss.
Some of today's highlight:
Headed straight for Mathew Street the starting point for all things Beatles and it was literally around the corner for us. It is the home of the Cavern Club and the Beatles Museum and about 15 other venues all Beatles named and themed. The Beatles played the original Cavern Club here hundreds of times, and that legacy shapes everything you see. Posters, statues, pictures, music, food and drink.
We were headed to the Beatles Museum. Three floors, heavily packed with all things Beatles from the start of their career up to 1973. Originally set up by the Best family it has heavy focus on early evolution of the Beatles and features lots of personal items velonging to Pere Best. Fascinating stuff and cleverly presented - a gallery of collectables rather than a slick modern museum. All sorts of programmes, handwritten notes, instruments, costumes and stuff owned and handled by members of the band.. You walk around with an audio gadget with great commentary that explained the displays. We spent a couple of hours here and it seemed like everyone was singing along, humming and bopping to the Beatles music that played in the background.
My favourite story ... The Beatles’ connection to the racehorse Never Say Die ridden by Les Piggott . Mona Best, whose huge bet (33-1) on the horse’s 1954 Derby win funded the creation of the Casbah Coffee Club — the first venue where the Beatles (then The Quarrymen) began performing! Without Mona’s winnings, the club wouldn’t exist — and the Beatles’ early development would have looked very different. Great story.
Plan 2 was to jump on the Magical Mustery Tour bus - shame that was totally booked out by the Viking Cruise tourists. We tried to book online - but it displayed that it was fully booked for two days. We tried our luck by walking to the dock and their booking office and maybe picking up a cancellation. Nope. They don't do that.
Not to worry - we jumped on the Razzle Dazzle Ferry on the Mersey and then took the hop on hop off bus for more Beatles sights and Liverpool's story. So much history packed into two hours - with funny Liverpudlian accented commentary by @Dave. Of course got the waterfront, port, warehouse, dockyard, river and war history from the boat, followed by close ups on shore of The Liver Building (the story of the two birdsq and their flight if a virgin walks by), The Three Grace's (the city's iconic skyline), the Cavern Quarter, the Cathedrals (both ends of Hope Street - eyernal hope), the Knowlege, Baltic and Georgian Quarters , street art, Liverpool legends and myths, war time bombings, scouse everything (including the eyebrow), football rivalry, famous music lyrics and young prize winning architects all interwoven with Beatles stories delivered with wit, sarcasm and a heavy accent apparently steeped in the influence of the Irish.
That landed us back at the head of Mathew Street just on 4pm and we were looking for a late lunch/early dinner option. Tried a few of the pub and byclub venues here, but I couldn't face another round of pie, stew, fish, pastry or chips. "Please, please , please, find me some Asian food" I begged @Mac. He's eaten so much battered fish I think I need to check him for gills and scales.
Didn't have to go far - just across the road. At this time of day, we were the only two in the 250 seat restaurant. What a winner. It was a "small plate" venue which meant we got to order our own mini banquet. My second favourite meal of the trip (Turkish platter with @Leah and @Ali my number 1.)
Walked the 80 metres to home and the lift (we love a lift - such a rarity in tgese old buildings)and had a little breather. Knew we had been out "too early" for the dinner vibes and we wanted to see Liverpool in the evening and re-headed out at 8 pm for the night life. Okay, it is Thursday and the World Cup match between France and Morocco was about to start - but really. Dead as. All the cruise passengers must have retreated back to the Viking. In Mathew Street, there was a gathering (not packed) and every doorway had live music or karaoke blasting out. Other than that little laneway, we could have swung a dead cat without hitting anyone.
@Mac scored a coffee at 8 50 ... ten minutes before closing time. Walked home the long way, looking for alternate action, but all a fizzer really. Chats with a local suggested Friday and Saturday nights "were the go." Nothing to do really, might as well go home and watch the game and make the highlight of the evening a load of washing. That'll set me up for more joy with the iron tomorrow morning.
A moment 💋 for our vicarious adventurers the @Littlens
Today's Spot the J clue - there are two!
Just another party animal in Liverpool
Survival Barometer
Steps: 10 855
Weather: 29 - big smog cloud over Mersey from cardboard factory fire
Can you believe that?
A little background from Co-Pilot.
🧭 Why the Beatles matter for Liverpool
Beatles heritage is one of Liverpool’s two biggest tourism pillars (the other is football). Almost half of Liverpool’s business tax revenue comes from tourism, and Beatles-related sites—Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, Mendips, Forthlin Road, The Cavern—remain among the city’s most visited cultural locations.
Beatles-related tourism generates roughly £81.9 million in net economic impact annually and supports more than 2,300 jobs, with some newer reporting placing the total value closer to £120 million per year.
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