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Darin & Barbara's Tour Of Liverpool & London
  The view of the Mersey from the air on approach to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.   A unique sculpture that I first saw near the Albert Dock in 2001 when Liverpool was applying to be the European Center of Culture, and that has moved around a bit. It's now at the airport.  The Lennon statue in the airport. Julia Baird says in her book that she is moved by it each time she flies in/out of Liverpool. It does stop one in their tracks and makes them reflect on all the history in this little town.  A view from the top of a parking garage in central Liverpool. Mathew street is close by. This was to show the Liverpool '08 banner.  St. George's Hall, Lime Street, with 800th anniversary flags. This building was restored and reopened on April 23, 2007 in a ceremony hosted by Prince Charles.  The view east on Mathew Street, from the approximate location of the 'new' Cavern Club.  The Liver Building at Pier Head; the view from the southeast. This is probably the most recognized building in Liverpool.  The entrance to The Beatles Story, the tourist museum and gift shop on the Albert Dock. Virtually every Beatles fan who comes to Liverpool starts at this point, which sells maps and is the starting point for tours.  The Albert Dock undergoing construction of the 2008 European Center of Culture celebrations. This is the view looking south from The Beatles Story. This used to be a parking lot/empty lot. It's now going to be the new Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, to open in January 2008.  The famous Mathew Street "Beatle Street" sculpture near the Cavern Club.  Looking back west down Mathew Street toward The Cavern Club. The Grapes is a famous bar, as it is where The Beatles frequently went after gigs at the Cavern and where Pete Best reportedly drowned his sorrows after being sacked.  "The Beatles Shop" on the east end, north side, of Mathew Street. Probably the best "rare Beatles" store in the area.  The Jacaranda Club, renovated since the '60s, but still in the location where the proto Beatles used to hang out when it was a coffee house. It was operated by Allan Williams, the man who also booked their gigs in Hamburg, but who never really formally signed the band, so he's famous as "The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away." Reportedly, there is still a mural painted by some of the boys in the newly renovated club. It is a bit of walk to the south from Mathew Street.  Graffiti on a sign next to the Jacaranda. Use your imagination - did he steal the tune for "Yesterday?" Too much credit for Lennon-McCartney songs? Heather's leg? What?  The Blue Angel nightclub, also near the Jacaranda, a place frequented by The Beatles but now a bit cheesy and not considered for locals!  The Liverpool Cathedral from Hope Street to the east, about the farthest south one should walk from the city center in search of Beatles places. This is where The Liverpool Oratorio was premiered, and it's right next door to Macca's LIPA and the School of Art where John and Stuart met.  Gambier Terrace along Hope Street, looking in the opposite direction from where 8764 was taken, is a building where John and Stuart once shared a flat in 1959 when they were in art school together. It is just across the street to the east of the Liverpool Cathedral. It's gated, so this is just a photo of the address plate. The flat is a bit to the right of this image - probably outside of it. It definitely looks 'posh' now. Not sure what it was like 50 years ago.  Entrance to the Liverpool School of Art on Hope Street, where John and Stuart studied for a bit, before setting their sights on grander things. This is literally across the road from the Cathedral, diagonal to the north from their Gambier Terrace flat.  The Mount Street entrance to the Liverpool Institute and School of Art - this is adjacent to the School of Art and now what is known as LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts). Paul and Mike McCartney went here when it was the Liverpool Institute for Boys - and Mike has some nice photos from within the school back when he was a student there. The "roundabout" at Penny Lane is really an intersection of three main streets, so that there are actually 6 major roads that lead into Penny Lane. One of the roads is the true "Penny Lane," so this is where the triangular 'roundabout' gets its popular name. It's not hard to imagine why John, Paul, and George would remember this location so well. It is truly unique in the nature of the merging of roads. Plus, it's where the buses met and where one transfers to another line. Also, John lived in a house within a few blocks of Penny Lane until he was about 5 or 6, at which point he was taken in by his Auntie Mimi who lived a couple of miles to the east, down the busiest road that forks off of Penny Lane, Menlove Ave. All Beatles fans who visit Liverpool must see this spot and spend an hour or so walking to the nearby sites to get a feel for John, Paul, and George's childhood movements. Penny Lane is a focal point for many things "Beatles."  The bank!  The shelter in the middle, now abandoned after many different lives.  Looking east down Smithdown Road which turns into Allerton road, leading in the direction of the fork to the left (Menlove Ave, Lennon) and to the right (Allerton Road, McCartney).  This looks down the true "Penny Lane" road that enters the false roundabout from the southwest.  St. Barnabas Church, where Paul sang in the choir as a boy.  Dovedale Primary. This is where John and George went to school as very young boys, but not at the same time. It's a short walk to the south and west of Penny Lane. It has changed little over the years (apparently).  This is 9 Newcastle Road, several blocks north of Penny Lane, where Julia lived with her father when she was pregnant with John, and where she raised John until he was about 5 or 6. This is where she raised John until she had an illegitimate child named "Victoria" who was put up for adoption (later found to be located only a few blocks from her Springwood home with John Dykins, I believe, and renamed Ingrid by her Norwegian adoptive parents).  Needs no caption. Just around the corner from Mendips to the north and west.  Mendips, 251 Menlove Avenue. Too much history to repeat here, as John was based here from age 6 to 24. Julia Baird's new book is a must for any Beatles fan who wants to know what John's informative years were like living with his Aunt Mimi, with a few surprises for even the most informed fans. One thing that is quite surprising is that this home is situated in a very wealthy part of the suburbs. Just to the west, only yards from Mendips, there are gated mansions. I have no idea if these were there in the '50s. This wouldn't be considered a "working class" area, although just around the corner, there are the government-built row houses normally associated with the working class. Must have been hard for John to deal with, and no doubt a source of conflict that influenced his songwriting.  Walking east from Mendips on Menlove Ave, with a mile you see the church steeple for St. Peter's to the north. This is where John and Paul first met. It's a long walk from John's house, but both he and Paul made this walk many times, apparently.  The cemetery at St. Peters. Apparently, one gravestone is marked "Eleanor Rigby," but we didn't go searching, as Paul has said this wasn't the source of his inspiration, unless subliminally.  On the west side of the church, there is a small plot of land that is probably where Paul first saw John. They met and talked across the street, where a plaque marks the hall where they met after the Quarrymen played their last set of the evening. We missed that, as we were exhausted from walking. But even so, this little hallowed piece of ground was enough to put goosebumps on your arms. Imagine a fresh 15-year old Macca sitting there 50 years ago watching a somewhat inebriated Lennon sing the wrong lyrics to some very popular songs, while his mother and step-sisters were in the audience. Wow … what history! The hall where they met can be seen across the street in the photo (I think!).   20 Forthlin Road. Believe it or not, just a few blocks from where Julia Lennon lived for 10 years until she was killed in a car crash next to Mendips. This is to the south of Mendips, but a relatively easy walk if you have to do it (30-40 minutes). Paul moved here when he was 15, and his mother died in just one year, so his memories of Forthlin are mainly of his dad and brother. The backyard is where Mike McCartney took the "Chaos and Creation" photo. Although Paul lived in several other homes, this one is the more important for "Beatles" fans, because this is where he lived after he met John, and this is where they practiced (to avoid the scorn of Mimi and also because John could then go over to see Julia - for a little while, anyway, as she was killed 2 years later … but this was the part of town where Lennon/McCartney really began. 
 The BBC, London. I'm told that people who look in the trash can find all kinds of rare recordings!  Kingly Street, Soho - looking approximately southeast. This is just a short walk from the Oxford Circus tube stop.  Downstairs at 8 Kingly St. is where the Bag O' Nails club was located, where Paul met Linda in 1967. It's no longer there, but the building remains. Soho is to Macca as Disneyland is to Mickey Mouse. It's his London hangout. If you want to bump into him, Soho is the place to start.  Piccadilly Circus - Paul comes here a lot to promote his records and books. It's a short walk from his office and favorite restaurants. Just on the south end of Soho.  The famous entrance to 3 Saville Row, Apple studios. Now abandoned, the building was condemned after extensive renovations to the basement to put in a studio made the building unsafe.  It was on this roof …    Abbey Road, EMI studios - graffiti central!  Almost the right view, looking to the northwest, down Abbey Road. EMI is to the left of center, the white walls and gates.  We couldn't help but take a photo of these boys, recreating the famous crossing. They were making a movie. I tried to get "Paul" to walk out of step, but he didn't hear me.  Just around the corner from Abbey Road lies Cavendish Ave. A posh part of town, and home to famous people who like privacy.  One of those famous persons was Billy Fury.  And across the street lives a knight named Paul. Apparently, we just missed him - he and the band were rehearsing in Sussex.  Marylebone, where A Hard Day's Night starts out … not too far from Soho, and sort of in between St John's Wood (i.e. Abbey Road) and Soho.  Marylebone - you can almost see The Beatles as they run across the road to catch their train.  Where Paul married Linda … and right next door (you can't see it), John and Yoko (and lots of Rolling Stones) appeared in court for drug possession! This is just across the road from Marylebone, and a stone's throw from Baker Street and the Apple Boutique … closest tube stop, Baker Street.  The Baker Street Apple Boutique … a failed experiment. You can see where they sandblasted off the paint. They've filled in the foyer with another store (Reed) and added another floor on the roof, so it doesn't quite look the same anymore.  34 Montagu Square, Marylebone. West of Baker Street, two blocks. Apartment owned by Ringo, but only lived in by John and Cyn on occasion. Nice part of town, but clearly not one frequented by our boys. The second photo is just to remind me of the street name, as the flats all start looking the same after awhile. Close to EMI HQ.  20 Manchester Square. Same address as EMI HQ, but new building. Not sure if this was a complete replacement, or new façade. EMI shut down a few years back. Pity. I was looking forward to the view up the staircase! Oh well, a Beatle probably once peed nearby here, and that's good enough for most fanatics!  Just a small café near the Asher residence. It is right next to a music shop where Paul supposedly stopped in to be handed a left-handed mandolin recently … so, you suppose he gets his scones here?  Marylebone High Street, just one block east of EMI HQ. This is just a short walk from the Asher residence where Macca lived for the first couple of "Beatle" years ('64-'65) before moving to St. John's Wood.  57 Wimpole Street. A few blocks from EMI HQ, this is the Asher residence where Paul was welcome for several years, before he gave up on the relationship, and wrote "I'm Looking Through You," etc.  Prince of Wales Theater, Piccadilly. "Rattle Your Jewelry," etc.  The Royal Albert Hall, across town by subway (or your feet and legs will ache!) and closer to Buckingham Palace, and The Beatles 1967 hangout art galleries (which we had to skip on this trip). Paul is right now playing the Apple Itunes Fesitval just a short 2 minute walk from the RAH. Now they know how many holes it takes …  Just a cute name for one of the gates of Hyde Park on Kensington Road near Knightsbridge. The Rutles who?  Yup, the rich lady lives here and John, Paul, George, Ringo, Rusty [Anderson] and I have been inside (not all at the same time)! Plus...  These were taken north of Leeds, in a town called Haworth, where the Bronte sisters lived ("Wuthering Heights" was written by Emily Bronte). I liked the Rupert in the bookstore and the Penny Lane store.  The last photo from the trip - in York, the day before we left. The CD release was the next Monday in the UK.
— Darin Toohey & Barbara Brandt
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