There are two places you must visit in Liverpool – Mendips and the Cathedral.
Mendips, located at 251 Menlove Avenue, is where Beatle John Lennon grew up under the care of his Aunt Mimi, fromthe age of five until 23.
It was in this house that he composed many of his famous songs and where he rehearsed with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best.
Aunt Mimi loved John but discouraged him from a music career. “The guitar’s all right John, but you’ll never make a living out of it,” she was quoted as telling John frequently during his teenage years.
After John’s death, Yoko Ono bought this semi-detached house and donated it to The National Trust. It was renovated to resemble how it looked like when John was living there.
The Liverpool Cathedral was where Beatle Paul McCartney failed in his audition for the church choir at the age of 11 in 1953.
Paul came back to the cathedral after he became famous to watch the choir perform his classical work.
Among the guests was the man who rejected him, Ronald Woan, who insisted it was the right decision. “if I had taken him on, he would probably have ended up teaching music in a comprehensive school.”
Besides having a good choir, the cathedral building itself is a big attraction, being the fifth largest in the world.
Unfortunately we missed going into these two places during our Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. As usual, I left it to the last minute and the comprehensive tour was all sold out. I was told we should book the tour online a few days earlier.
We went around in circles looking for a place to book the tour. Finally we made our way to Albert Dock where we managed to book the abridged version which was only a 2-hour tour. So we only managed to see the outside of these two famous landmarks.
The tour cost us £15.90 each (about RM80). We had a very jovial and informative guide, and the appropriate Beatles music were played during the different stops. You can also use the tickets to enter The Cavern where The Beatles performed during the early years of their career. So it is definitely worth it.
The bus stopped briefly for us to pose for photographs at famous sites such as Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, Mendips, Paul’s house at 20 Forthlin Road and George Harrison’s house at 12 Arnold Grove.
Paul’s house was also a favourite rehearsal place for him and John. It was also here that they both sat together to compose many of their famous songs. The National Trust later bought this house in 1996 and restored to what it was like when Paul lived there.
The other sites, such as the schools attended by the Beatles, the home of their manager Brian Epstein, the Empire Theatre, the Adelphi Hotel and the Hard Days Night Hotel got brief mentions each from the tour guide as the bus made its way around Liverpool.
We were advised to go back to The Cavern Club in Mathew Street at 10pm where there was live music. We never made it there. We got lost along the way and decided to try again the next morning.
There was no activity at the club in the morning but at least we got to see what the underground pub was like. After all, it played host to famous musicians such as the Searchers, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black,The Rolling Stones, The Who, Chuck Berrry , Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.
Now this is where we should have started our Beatles journey. There is a well-stocked souvenir shop round the corner where you can also book tickets or the tour.
Next to the shop in North John Street is the Hard Days Night Hotel, a haven for any Beatles fan. This Beatles-theme hotel, which was opened in February 2008, has a specially commissioned artwork in each of its 110 rooms.
I stepped into the Blakes restaurant inside the hotel and could hear Beatles music in the background. I am certain the Lounge and Bar are just as exciting.
This is definitely where I am going to stay on my next trip. I checked online for room rates. It was £180 (RM900) for 2 nights compared to £110 (RM550) we paid for the no-frills Travelodge Hotel. For a Beatles fan, the difference is well worth it.
The city also organises a Beatle Week every year. Fans from all over the world converge in the city and are entertained by bands from 20 different countries at the Cavern Club, the Philharmonic Hall and Adelphi Hotel.
Next year’s event is scheduled from Aug 28 to Sept 3. So leave those dates free, all you Beatles fans.