Day 22 - Beatles Childhood Homes Tour

Sunday 6 October 2019

This morning we have paid for a hotel breakfast, which is the standard fare, and we need to be around at Jurys Inn for the National Trust’s Beatles Childhood Homes Tour by 9:45. It’s an easy walk and luckily the rain holds off. Hubby hurries me along as I’m distracted by the Aqua Park at the Adventure Dock. That looks like fun.

Aqua Park at Adventure Dock

In keeping with the limited space within the heritage properties, our group is fairly small. Other tourists envy our pre-purchased guidebooks as we get our names ticked off and head out to board the small bus.

Commentary is provided along the route, heads swivel as we turn the corner and St Barnabas Church where Paul sang in the choir as a kid. We note the location of the barbershop, the building that was previously the place of business of the banker that never wears a mac.

Our first stop is Mendips, a very nice home indeed in a beautiful leafy suburban area. As we travel along Menlove Ave we hear of the changes that have taken place in the area over time and the circumstances of the death of John’s mother Julia, killed as she went to cross the road. The whole setting of the home comes as something as a surprise to me. This is a VERY nice area.

Menlove Ave, there used to be a tram running down the centre of the road

We congregate in the front garden to discuss the outdoor life of the family and the changes made to the home during the time that Aunt Mimi and Uncle George owned it. The rules around the blue plaques are explained so that we understand why Mendips has one but 20 Forthlin Road does not. The person acknowledged must have been dead for at least 20 years. John’s plaque was erected on the 20^th anniversary of his murder. 

Lacecap Hydrangeas in the garden at Mendips

I knew that John came from a more middle class area than the other Beatles but I really didn’t know it was as nice as this. The garden is lovely too. It is fascinating to have the relative location of Strawberry Field and the homes of John’s childhood pals and members of the Quarrymen pointed out. There’s so much that gives insight into songs that John wrote. I found it particularly moving to hear of the devotion and sacrifices that Aunt Mimi and Uncle George made to provide a stable, loving home for John. In John’s room here is a framed message from Yoko, that says how much the home meant to John throughout his life. Yoko’s welcome makes visiting all the more enjoyable.

Mendips, with our house guide approaching

After the presentations from our guide are completed, we have some time to move around the home on our own. It’s a lovely home with a cosy ambience. I could very cheerfully live here.

Time comes for us to get back onto the bus to travel over to Paul’s childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton. A similar format is followed there, with photos outside and then moving into the living room where we have the luxury of being able to sit down. 20 Forthlin Road actually has bricks damaged by people going up and literally breaking off chunks of the house! Apparently, girls just lived on the front lawn and poor Jim couldn’t even open his door. Paul and John ultimately bought Jim and Mimi new houses elsewhere. Mendips was bought by Yoko and donated to the National Trust to protect it from exploitation and commercialisation that John wouldn’t have liked. The National Trust bought Forthlin Road.

20 Forthlin Road, notice where fans have literally chipped away pieces of the bricks as souvenirs!

This is a much more modest home, but it’s comfortable and Paul has made his affection for the home clear in his request that the National Trust change the wording of the sign out the front. We learn a lot here about Paul’s early life. Especially memorable were the aspects to his life that are directly referenced in When I’m 64. Photos taken by Paul’s brother Mike when the boys were living in the home are on display. Mike was a keen photographer and under a pseudonym he was a member of the band that recorded the hit song Lily the Pink. We love the photograph of Paul climbing the drain pipe to get in, which the boys did if they missed their Dad’s dinner time curfew. Perhaps most impressive of all, was that Paul’s father converted the dining room of the small home to be a practice space for Paul and his mates, even going to the trouble of lining the walls with egg cartons, many donated by the neighbours, to improve the acoustics and provide some sound proofing!

Relaxing in the living room, one of the older guys on the tour hesitantly starts to play, struggling to remember the chords to Imagine. This piano represents the original that the family used for family singalongs, like so many families did in the days before television. We all feel the pain of neighbours who refused the offered gift of the piano when Paul’s dad was moving out. It recently sold for a vast sum.

When I was booking the tour, many months ago to be sure we didn’t miss out, I wasn't sure what to expect but both tours have been absolutely fascinating. Of course, I should have known they would be, it's the National Trust afterall. They have preserved these homes while people who lived in them are still alive and can be consulted about everything from décor to anecdotes about the family. Even beyond the Beatles connection, they are interesting as artifacts of the period.

A lot of Lennon and McCartney’s songs, even stuff from their later albums, was written in the two houses and/or reference things in their lives and neighbourhoods. Of course it’s the song writing connection that most interests the National Trust, so you get the run down on them. Anecdotes about the many iconic music artists that have come to tour the Beatles Childhood Homes are also included. Beatles fandom is a universal leveller. It's impossible not to acknowledge the genius Liverpool gave to the world in the form of these young men. 

The guide at 20 Forthlin Road was annoying me in a big way as we waited to be picked up by the little bus. Possibly in response to a question from another tourist, she started giving her view on the relative “homey-ness” of the two houses, 20 Forthlin Road winning of course. In justifying her opinions she made a number of insulting remarks about Aunt Mimi. Having done Mendips first we are aware that Mimi made great sacrifices to give John stability and the opportunity for a better future. Despite her strictness around house rules, and not tolerating the noise of the boys playing and writing the songs, it’s understandable she had a boarding house to run afterall, providing lodgings for students who needed quiet to be able to study. Mimi gave up good work outside the home to take John in and raise him, determined that he would have someone at home to see him off to school and be there when he got back, yet they couldn’t live on Uncle George’s income alone so she continued to work from home by taking in the lodgers. When Uncle George died, Mimi slept in the little morning room because she had to give over the room she had shared with her husband to more student lodgers to make ends meet. John kept his own little room, where Uncle George had rigged up a small wireless for John to listen to music. I came away feeling that Mimi had to have been a very good and loving woman. Mimi set high expectations and was concerned that he didn’t fall in with a bad crowd, like so many parents, but she never damaged John’s spirit that’s for sure, nor did John have tales of abuse or neglect by George and Mimi. It’s absolutely clear from Yoko’s letter that John loved the home and his time growing up there and in Liverpool in general. By the time the bus arrives I’m really pretty angry at the disrespect. There really is no need for competition between the houses.

Bruschetta Casa Italia

We’re pretty shattered, so we can’t face any prospect of going out tonight, so we head back to Casa Italia and have lunch as our main meal of the day. It’s quieter today than Saturday and we’re soon seated and tucking into a serve of Bruschetta Casa Italia: Thick home-made pizza bread served with a selection of red onions, cherry tomatoes and home-made pesto. That made a great first round. For our main meals, we both opt for a pasta bake. I’ve chosen Lasagne: oven baked with tomato, bechamel and mozzarella with assorted vegetables. Hubby’s gone for the Tortellini Italiana: Oven baked meat filled pasta, with Bolognese, bechamel and mozzarella. Everything very nice and filling.  

Lasagne

We walk back down to the Albert Dock, occasionally being tempted into small explorations. I’m tempted by a lolly shop and that’s worth the time, the price they want for some of the Australian or New Zealand things is quite extraordinary. Gees you’d need to be desperate to pay those prices.

Back in our hotel room, we are ready for a sleep. The ferry from Belfast was just too exciting to go to sleep straight away and a very early rise and then last night it was at least 2 am before we were starting to feel actually sleepy after the fantastic show at the Cavern so we are totally wrecked! Not even the vast array of interesting museums can tempt us to stay on our feet a moment longer.

Day 21 - Arrival at Birkenhead, Beatles Story, Mersey Ferry, Gateway to the World & The Cavern Club

Saturday 5 October 2019

As we travel up the Mersey to dock at Liverpool we rise and dress, pack up our gear and make our way downstairs to wait for disembarkation. Excitement as I walk past a framed photograph of the Beatles, but then a double take. What the? Well someone clearly doesn’t like Paul!! It’s a famous group shot of the young fab four, but to fit the image into a square frame some genius has decided to crop the photo. Bizarre.

Why on earth would you choose this iconic photo and then crop Paul out of it?

I slip outside to take a better look at the lights of Liverpool across the Mersey, then come back quickly to wait with Hubby, noting a few passengers who have just opted to sleep on the banquettes in the common areas rather than book a cabin. We glide down the very tall escalators to immigration, queuing to show our passports. Hubby is behind me and held up as one of the officials asks him about his trip and where he's going. He’s just seeming a bit stunned and unable to say. Thinking maybe he needs assistance I head back. They were just being friendly, so we have a nice chat and head out to the shuttle bus for the transfer to the train station. We couldn’t be bothered with the train as we’re staying at Albert Dock so we just grab a taxi which is waiting at the rank.

It’s daylight by the time we’re driving through very light traffic to the Premier Inn, pull up outside and find that this driver doesn’t take card only cash. Seems a bit strange to me. I note that he does have his photo ID licence on display, and the car does have a meter so he must be legit. Hubby hands over a £10 note, it’s one of the new plastic notes we got at the bank in Carrickfergus. Driver looks at it and says “What’s this?” So we explain and include a perhaps gratuitous level of detail, cheerfully adding that it’s the new plastic money that has better security features, see the clear panel, this polymer note technology was invented in Australia, so the new notes look a lot like Australian money with brighter colours. He accepts this, which is a relief because if he hadn't I don't know what we'd have done to make payment. 

Premier Inn Royal Albert Dock

Nothing unusual about dropping our luggage, but we start right away into the Beatlemania with some piped Beatles songs in the lobby.  They are playing Lennon by the time we head back out for a look around.

The Royal Albert Dock - Grade 1 Listed

The overwhelming first impression of the Albert Dock is that the scale is simply enormous. Enormous. Incredible to think that this was constructed in the 1840s. It represents so many world firsts. First to be built from cast iron, brick and stone with no structural wood, so the first non-combustible warehouse. It revolutionised operations because cargo was moved directly from the ship into the warehouse. The world’s first hydraulic cranes were installed only two years after completion. Even so, the rapid advances in shipping technology mean the dock itself was obsolete within 50 years. Having spent so long looking at maps and reviews of venues and eateries in the area, it’s great to finally be here. Of course, this early in the morning nothing is open. There's so many interesting museums we won’t have time for.

Legacy Memorial detail

There is a vast amount of space around the docks for sculptures and memorials and there’s an eclectic abundance of opportunities for contemplation of the different aspects of the life of the dock. From an expression of long-lasting admiration and devotion from Billy Fury fans, to the purely artistic work of Tony Cragg, or the Legacy Memorial calling to mind over 9 million people who travelled through Liverpool to emigrate to the new world.

Waiting by Judy Boyt

“Waiting” a memorial to working horses is well justified and brings to mind an aspect of life on the docks I probably would not have otherwise considered. My 3 x Great grandfather spent 20 years working on or around the docks in Liverpool from about 1845 – 1864, so no doubt he would have been very familiar with the presence of the many thousands of working horses without which the docks would have ground to a standstill. Even during WWII, the Liverpool carters and their working horses ensured that goods were kept moving through the docks. 

Propeller from the Lusitania

A small, fenced enclosure sits in an area which seems a bit neglected. Weeds are growing from the gaps between the cobblestones near an area closed off by temporary fencing. I walk over for a closer look, not feeling particularly enthusiastic, but figuring I may as well be thorough because I’ll probably never have another chance. I find it’s one of the four propellers from the Lusitania, the sinking of which brought the USA into the first world war. She was a Cunard liner, based in Liverpool, and sank in 20 minutes after being torpedoed off the coast of southern Ireland in 1915 at the cost of 1201 lives. How ironic, that this is the thing that seems least prominent or cared for here.

We’re making quite a habit of checking out historic docks during our travels, first Chatham where HMS Victory was built and many of my dead rellies worked back in the early 19th Century, then Portsmouth where HMS Victory is now on display, this time we are admiring the first wet dock ever constructed, opened in 1715 having cost £11,000 to construct over the previous 5 years. These modest looking stone structures are some of the mightiest pieces of architecture on the planet.

Opening time for the Rough Hand Made Bakery approaches so we turn back and walk along the covered walkways of the Royal Albert Dock to a venue of extreme temptation. Not all items are available as soon as the doors open, but a delicious spinach and fetta roll, chocolate croissant and a delectable cinnamon and walnut scroll all live up to this bakery’s reputation. Oh my, it’s perhaps just as well that I don’t live near this place.

Conveniently, we’re now very close to the Beatles Story again. I’m not sure about this but again, we’re here so we may as well take a look. I read a lot about the Beatles years ago so I’m wondering whether I’ll find this interesting, but there’s some new information for me in there and some that refreshes my memory. …and of course, there’s a constant Beatles soundtrack in the museum, so it’s hard not to enjoy yourself. Most of it is new for Hubby and he’s paying close attention and enjoying the displays. 

The final room is called Imagine and it has John Lennon’s white piano and his glasses sitting on top. Since seeing the movie Yesterday and the ending of that, I’ve being experiencing a new wave of sorrow at John’s murder. This final display brings tears to the surface once more.

Our next item today is the Mersey Ferry, but first we find the RIBA North outlet and book on for this afternoon’s walking tour. Back on our way to the ferry terminal, we join the throng of people who have gathered around the statues of the Beatles. Groups stand in front of the larger than life young Liverpudlians.  Other’s waiting volunteer to take the photos for the group ahead of them so they can all be in the photo together. Everyone is smiling and laughing and there’s a real sense of global community that makes this a pretty special experience.

We join the queue for the Mersey Ferry, penned back so the passengers disembarking can pass through and for about 30 seconds they play Ferry Cross the Mersey and then the soundtrack is cut without finishing the song. The poor crew. They must be so, so sick of that song. We tourists of course would be happy to hear the whole of it.

We concentrate to try to hear all the commentary as we cruise to the various stopping off points. My main objectives in taking the ferry are 1. It’s iconic isn’t it so it's just one of those things you have to do, and as we learn, there’s been a ferry cross the Mersey for at least 800 years. 2. Having arrived in the dark it gives us a chance to see more of the docks that run for 7 kms along the waterside, and the river itself which I am astonished to learn is about 1.6 km (1 mile) wide in this area! It’s even wider upstream.

Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse - Grade II Listed

We run down the northern side of the river, viewing the Grade II listed Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, world’s now the world’s largest brick building, when it was opened in 1901, it was the world’s largest building of any kind. Not far away we admire the Salisbury Dock and the Grade II Listed Victoria Tower which is striking for the hexagonal design, providing 6 clock faces which assisted shipping by enabling them to accurately set their ship’s clocks as they sailed out to the Irish Sea. The bells in the tower also warned of impending meteorological changes, such as fog or high tide.

Victoria Tower aka the Dockers Clock

I run our itinerary through some logistical somersaults in my mind trying to think of some time when we might go over to the Wirral to check out Hamilton Square, which we’re told is one of the finest squares in Britain with the most grade 1 listed buildings anywhere outside London. Man, I would like to see that, but we just don’t have time.

Mersey Tunnel Ventilation Shaft by Herbert Rowse 1925-34. Steel framed with brick cladding

We start our education on Herbert Rowse as we contemplate the Art Deco styling of the Mersey Tunnel ventilation shaft at Birkenhead.  It offers a stark contrast to the 1970s construction of the Ventilation Shaft and air intakes for the Kingsway Tunnel, a brutalist edifice for which the engineers carry full design credits.

Kingsway Tunnel Ventilation Shaft 

Over in the distance the Grade 1 listed Liverpool Cathedral dominates a stretch of skyline, hardly surprising given it’s the world’s longest Cathedral. It’s on my itinerary, but is in danger from some pushing and shoving for time that will need to occur on that day. A little research during the writing up of this journal reveals that the choice of architect for the project was quite startling and it would seem very much influenced by blatant nepotism. Beating luminaries such as Charles Rennie McIntosh in the competition for the job, a youngster, and the third generation of prominent designers of such buildings, Giles Gilbert Scott won out even though he was only 22 and not yet fully qualified. Such were the reservations of the Cathedral Committee that they appointed one of the panel of the selectors, a close friend of the young bloke's father, to co-design the Cathedral just to be sure. 

Not the best view of Liverpool Cathedral

I was intrigued by the long period of construction which was quite extraordinarily long for a modern project. Commenced in 1904, the scale of the task and the disruption caused by two world wars, not to mention damage inflicted during the Liverpool Blitz, is responsible for the project slipping over the years with completion not until 1978, after the death of even Giles Gilbert Scott. I have to wonder what a complete marvel a cathedral by Charles Rennie McIntosh would have been.

We cruise in past the Wheel of Liverpool and the Royal Albert Dock, marveling at the extraordinary decision to build a two-storey ferry terminal obscuring the views of the Three Graces from the water. What on earth were the planning authorities thinking?

What the hell were they thinking blocking the view of the three graces from the water?

We still have an hour to kill until our walking tour at 2 pm. What about lunch? We ate too much at brekkie and have a substantial meal planned this evening, so we’re not keen for a sit-down lunch. Hubby wants to go to a chemist, but that doesn’t require both of us so I decide to use the time to check out the Liverpool Museum. We agree to meet back at RIBA North for the walking tour. 

Main staircase, Museum of Liverpool

I don’t have time for much, my first thought is to follow the Irish trail, but there’s some sort of amateur performance going on in the lobby area and they have a temporary exhibition on John and Yoko, called Double Fantasy, so I figure I may as well head up for a look at that. I only get enough time to decide I’d like to see more of it, before I really had better go and get across to RIBA North.
I find Hubby sitting in the RIBA café, having had a belated sit down lunch. He’s saved me half a sandwich, so I tuck in as we tell each other about our adventures. I almost regret not staying together to have witnessed his experience of the current day Liverpool Blitz. Walking along doing no harm a gull swerves out of it’s flight path on a bombing raid and having selected its target, drops a shit down the side of Hubby’s head and over his shoulder. British gulls are huge, it’s not until later Hubby finds gull shit overflow in the hood of his jacket. Judging by the copious quantity expelled, Hubby later quips “it’s clearly never had Boxty in its life.” Apparently, he’s found last night’s boxty binge in Belfast quite binding. Never mind, I laugh, clearly you must be in for luck sometime soon. 

We find our guide sitting at a table, out in the atrium he’s a volunteer and has a wealth of information to share about the city which, like Glasgow, bills itself as the second city of the British Empire, as was. As we’re already on Mann Island we learn about its five or so billion-pound redevelopment and the Longitude and Latitude buildings.

Latitude and Longitude Buildings and location of RIBA North

Soon my Art Deco knowledge is, predictably, being put the test as we pause to consider some more of Rowse’s work at the Georges Dock Building and Queensway Ventilation Tower. Do you know what style of architecture this is? Our guide enquires. Art Deco? I hedge my bets. Well done. Of course it’s Art Deco! I enjoy architecture and architecture tours, I’m no expert at identifying the different styles, but Art Deco I can usually identify quite readily since we did the Downtown Deco tour in Chicago. This has frequently proved handy because guides almost always ask you if you can tell what style Art Deco buildings are, much more so than any other style. It’s also useful to be able to tell Art Deco from Art Nouveau or Arts and Crafts. It gets trickier between Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts, but in my experience if you can at least distinguish Art Deco, you generally don’t embarass yourself too badly!

Georges Dock Building and Queensway Ventilation Tower architect Herbert Rowse

Before we move off, we look across to 30 James St and our guide discusses its history and design with enthusiasm. I feel a momentary pang of regret at having chosen to save a bit of money and stay elsewhere. Another heritage beauty is recommended to us also, that would be the Phil (aka the Philharmonic Dining Rooms) another Grade 1 listed building. Well, that sounds wonderful, but unfortunately there’s no way we’ll get time for that one.

Canada Boulevard

A short walk out on Canada Boulevard and our appreciation of the Beatles statue is enhanced by a few subtle features of the sculpture being brought to our attention. You don’t notice any of them until you examine the statue from behind. Each Beatle has something that references interests and activities. Look in the palm of John’s hand, he is holding some acorns. When he and Yoko did the bed in, they sent a pair of acorns to a number of world leaders asking that they be planted as living sculptures and symbols of peace. The acorns used to mold those in the statue had been foraged by the sculptor from the oaks growing near the Dakota Building in New York where John lived and was ultimately murdered.

Only the well informed or eagle eyed would spot the acorns in John's hand

Paul has a film camera bag slung over his shoulder, some websites say this is a reference to his wife being a professional photographer, but frankly, that seems to be nonsense. Interviewed about Magical Mystery Tour, Paul talked of having a movie camera and he would shoot many rolls of film wherever he was at the time, so appropriately, this is a reference to Paul’s own interests. George naturally has exotic script on his belt referencing his spiritual beliefs and Ringo has his Liverpool postal code L8 on the sole of his shoe.

We only need to look across to the Liverpool Museum and note the design references to its context, note for example the inspiration from the bridge of a ship. Limestone panels used in the cladding create a sympathetic colour to the historic buildings nearby. But the building has been controversial, not everyone is a fan. It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup.  Which brings us to consider the Pier Head Ferry Terminal Building – that we were puzzling over earlier. That actually won the Carbuncle Cup and a deserving winner it is. Local people fought to stop it but lost. All you can do is shake your head.

Georges Dock in the 1860s. Now the site of the Three Graces

We consider the massive engineering challenges of the Liverpool Canal Link project which reconnected the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with Liverpool’s South Docks at Pier Head restoring the connections that were broken when the George’s Dock was reclaimed for the building of the Three Graces.

We spend some more time discussing the Three Graces and the Cunard War Memorial, Liverpool traditions and superstitions around the Liver Birds. Again, we are in luck as we are posed a question. Do you know what Pro Patria means? Ah, yes, it means for your country. Our guide is somewhat surprised we know this. It just so happens it was the motto of the school our children all attended,  that’s come in handy!

Cunard War Memorial in front of the Cunard Building at Pier Head

Then it’s time to walk on. Our destination is the Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, but as we travel and wait at the lights we consider the detail and context of the Tower Building and the long occupancy of that site, imagining the hustle and bustle of the docks as they used to be.

Liverpool Blitz Memorial by Tom Murphy

Outside the church, we spend some time on the Liverpool Blitz of World War II and the memorial to the many civilian casualties. Around 4,000 people were killed and 10,000 injured in Merseyside during the blitz. Only London suffered higher casualties (around 30,000 deaths). Liverpool was an obvious target. Without the eastern supply chain to North America, Britain would have been crippled. An even larger monument to the Liverpool Blitz exists in the bombed out shell of St Lukes Church, too far away for us to cover today.

Royal Liver Building where once there were docks crowded with sailing ships, viewed from the grounds of Our Lady and St Nicholas Church

St Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, so dedication of the church is particularly fitting. This location has been a site of worship since the 13^th Century. We contemplate the extent of land reclamation in this area over time. At one point the River Mersey reached the garden walls of the church at high tide, but in the time since, progressive waves of redevelopment and land reclamation have pushed the waters back.

We step inside the church and quietly consider stories of tragedy and notable elements of the interior, so many of which reference a nautical theme. Time to pause and reflect for a brief while and we step back outside.

Mercure Atlantic Tower Hotel 1972 

Time for some more modern construction now. Nautical references are obvious in the Mecure Atlantic Tower Hotel, and respect to the history of Liverpool is paid in the dazzle cladding appearance of the Unity Buildings nearby. There’s a lot more thoughtful creativity that’s gone into the complex of buildings and the contrasting sections, but my memory and notebook can only cope with so much new material!

The Unity Buildings

We’re heading into a quiet road that feels like a bit of a backwater for another of Liverpools most significant buildings. Savagely panned by the architecture establishment, Oriel Chambers was at the forefront of design for it’s day. It’s construction is explained and its architect Peter Ellis lauded, links to the Chicago School of Architecture via John Wellborne Root noted and then the open question. When do you think this was built?  We’re way too late. Nope, 1864.  1864!!! You’re joking. No wonder it’s Grade I listed.

Oriel Chambers - now Grade 1 Listed but it was underappreciated in its day

The building on the opposite side of the road is not listed, but our guide is fond of it, and we’re here, so we may as well spend a few minutes on the architectural features. The quality of the build is obvious given its current condition.

Up past the India Building and on to Martins Bank where they stored part of Britain's gold reserve when the country was threatened with invasion during WWII. It seems that all around us the walls could relate stories of immense power and wealth. 

Martins Bank

An architecture tour of Liverpool would not be complete without considering the Grade 1 Listed Town Hall. A wander in there sounds brilliant. 

The identity of the nearby Nelson Monument comes as a surprise. Everywhere must have a Nelson Monument let’s face it, but the design of the monument features figures in chains, so give the wealth derived from the slave trade I was easily misled. In fact, the four figures represent Nelson’s four major battle victories, those chains lead up to the mouths of the Lion, an obvious reference to Great Britain.

The Nelson Memorial

We quickly note the remarkably ornate building on the corner of Brunswick and Castle and head via the Queen Victoria Monument in Derby square and on to the final location of our walk, Liverpool One, which is apparently the most successful shopping precinct development in Britain. I can believe it. It’s open to the air and it’s absolutely crawling with people even now on an increasingly damp Saturday afternoon. It’s much much nicer than the awful caverns that companies like Westfield usually put up.  

Liverpool One

We thank our guide and bid him farewell. Now, it’s about 4:30 pm. We’ve got tickets to the Saturday Night Beatles show at the Cavern but the doors don’t open there until 7:30. Do we have time to go back to the hotel for a rest? We decide not. We’ve got our eye on Casa Italia for dinner and they don’t take bookings so we figure we should go over there in the hope of avoiding too much in the way of crowds.

There’s a wait outside the little air lock when we arrive. Hubby’s not that thrilled to queue at any time. Happily this joint knows what they’re doing and it’s quite entertaining for me to watch the concentration with which the man in charge observes the large and crowded room and turns the tables over. There’s nothing haphazard about it. He must go home exhausted. 

Tortellini all Pana from Casa Italia

Within about 15 minutes we’re tucking into a serve of warm dough balls with garlic butter dip. I’ve watched a video online where someone who’s been coming here since childhood raved about the pasta bakes. They’re not something I’ve seen on menus at home so I’m keen to try one. I settle on the Tortellini alla panna: Oven baked meat filled pasta, with chicken, bechamel and mozzarella. Hubby has gone for the Penne Boscaiola: Mushrooms, peas, ham, onions, cream and tomato sauce. Both are on our table piping hot within another 10 minutes. Our meals are beautifully prepared. The slices of chicken laid out between the tortellini and the blanket of mozzarella is cooked to perfection and beautifully moist. Fast forward half an hour and we’re tucking into bowls of gelati, a compromise choice. We take our time, but conscious of the queue waiting for a table we head on our way. Nobody rushed us, but this is not a place to linger if you care about the suffering of others.

Eleanor Rigby by Tommy Steele

Eleanor Rigby sits on a bench on the street opposite. Then we only have a short walk around to Mathew Street. Still an hour and half until the doors open for the show. Not enough time to go back to the hotel and return, the weather’s a bit iffy and there’s a queue to get into the Cavern Club, so we figure we will join that and sus things out. Make sure we know where we are supposed to be. The Cavern is crowded and noisy, there’s nowhere to sit down. Faced with standing whatever we do, I suggest we just head around and find the entrance to the Lounge and hang out there. This turns out to be an old red phone box in the souvenir sales section tucked around the corner. We can hear the music from the band that’s playing.

Hubby’s pissed off. He doesn’t want a drink. I make an effort to talk to him about the souvenir options. He’s giving of dark vibes. A Canadian couple joins us in the queue and the lady starts to spark up a friendly conversation, which I think helps the time pass. Hubby, is just being downright rude. Resisting conversation when introduced. The three of us do our best but it’s awkward. Oh isn’t this going to be fun with Hubby in a rare mood. We wait and we wait. I mean, it’s not compulsory to queue for so long, but there’s limited seating and after a long day I’m keen to nab one of them.
Eventually, after the staff help a range of apparently special people jump the queue so they can have the front row seats the doors open and we file in and choose our seats. Hubby’s still pretty dark. A support act comes on and puts a sign up with his name on it and proceeds to occupy time for what feels like a good long time. My god, is this ever going to start?

Some time around 9pm or slightly after the show proper gets going. I hope this is worth all this waiting with mister grumpy. The scene is set with a video presentation on the large screen at the back of the stage, setting the scene of the times and finally the band, dressed in the manner of the early Beatles breakthrough hits comes bounding out onto the stage. The crowd goes wild. Obviously the first song is I Want to Hold Your Hand and the crowd sings along in full voice. The atmosphere is amazing. The band is amazing. If you close your eyes you’d think it was the original band. The impersonation is extraordinary. Between songs the various Beatles interact with the audience in a manner characteristic of the originals. It probably sounds cheesy but the authenticity of it rescues it from kitsch. The show proceeds with the band playing a selection of songs from each Beatles album and each Beatle gets their turn. At one point quite early in the show, Cavern Club George launches into an obscure George number. He makes eye contact with me as I happily sing along. The look on his face seems to say… what? No one knows THIS one! I do. If a song has a good beat and harmonies I am certain to like it, so obviously I love the early Beatles albums, they are all about harmonies.

The show goes on until time enough has passed that a costume change is required. The band leave the stage and the video presentation comes on with a parade of current events showing the time passing before the band comes back in their new look to cover the next few albums. The audience is loving it. People have obviously come from all over the UK and the world but there’s locals too. There’s all ages as well. There’s a young bloke just across from us who’s so into it I wonder if he’s chemically enhanced. Next to me is an old lady wearing long white vynal boots. She seems to be on her own and she sparks up a conversation. Apparently these boots are the same as the ones she wore to the Cavern back in the early 60s. By the time she’s sparking up a conversation with me she’s as pissed as a newt.

The music continues, every album is covered. Great hits, faithfully reproduced. For some of the more complex later songs, the Cavern Club George Martin joins the band and sits discretely adding the necessary elements. Sergeant Peppers climaxes as it should with A Day in the Life. SO. WELL DONE. We get to the White Album and George does the most faithful rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Extraordinary. Its an endless hit parade. It’s nothing short of bloody fantastic.

Inevitably the band take their bows and leave the stage, but they haven’t done either Let it Be or Hey Jude, so we know the show’s not over yet. The cheering is encouraging and return and then someone starts what I suspect is a Cavern Club ritual. Nah, Nah Nah, Nah, Nah Nah Nah…. Nah Nah Nah Nah, Heey Jude!  And that’s it, the audience just keeps that up until the band returns and plays surely the most iconic Beatles hit. The audience is word perfect, belting it out. It’s absolutely brilliant. But there’s not second encore. No Let it Be. It’s coming on for midnight and the audience slowly makes their way out of the lounge. Hubby, turns to me and says. “That was worth the wait!” Yes it bloody was! Back in the Cavern’s main bar area another band is has also been doing Hey Jude and the crowd is singing along so we join in again. It’s just one huge revel in songs that mean so much to pretty much the whole world. Hubby and I are both on cloud nine as we walk back down to the our hotel on the Royal Albert Dock. We’ve done some brilliant stuff on this and other holidays, but we haven’t ever done anything better than this. To think I almost didn’t come to Liverpool. I wondered if this was just a cheesy tourist trap. If I’d had any remote idea how good this night was going to be, this would definitely have been close to the top of my bucket list. I’m so glad that item got ticked in spite of my cynicism. Gosh I hope I get to come back to do this again one day. It’s a good thing we have a decent walk home, it takes a while to come down from a high like that. What a simply outstanding experience and we both feel the same, me a Beatles tragic of longstanding, and Hubby not so. We both think this has been far and away the best thing we’ve done on this trip. Even the utterly fabulous and hilarious Game of Thrones Archery doesn’t even come close. Beatlemania is alive and well in Liverpool. For goodness sake get yourself there and experience it, be ready to sing along. As we have said to all our closest friends, it's worth the airfare and 28 hours on a plane just to go to Liverpool and the Cavern Club Beatles show. Do it!!
Best of all for me, Liverpool has given the Beatles back to me. I was a complete Beatles tragic as a teenager, somewhere between five and ten years too late, collected all their albums, knew every song by heart, but unfortunately there's a fair amount about that time of my life I'd rather forget, so I haven't enjoyed the music as much because it takes me back to places I've moved on from. Coming to Liverpool and experiencing the simple and sincere pride and joy in the Beatles and their music and partaking of the communion at the Cavern Club has given The Beatles back to me free of baggage. For that I am deeply and sincerely grateful beyond the ability to adequately express it. But I suspect that many people around the world understand what I feel. It's expressed so beautifully in the movie Yesterday, I know i'm not alone.

Sydney Sightseeing Walk - Updated 2020

This walk a great way to explore some of the wonderful parts of Sydney. I have treated the walk as one long exploration which can be done over a few hours or across a whole day or more depending on where, and how long, you stop along the way. You could also split the walk up, perhaps by simply heading straight to Hyde Park and starting there.... so off we go on a somewhat eclectic, one born and bred Sydneysider's view of a slice of our harbour city. Please follow the links for further information about different sites to see what you can do there or to get more detailed information on the context.

I have chosen to start the walk at Town Hall. To the west of Town Hall is St Andrews Cathedral, see of the Archibishop of Sydney and the home of the Anglican church in Sydney.  Choral evensong is sung on Mondays and Thursdays. They also have some musical events which when scheduled are shown on the website.

Head north along George St and cross over to the QVB.  This magnificent Sydney retail palace was saved from demolition by one of many Green Bans implemented by workers under the leadership of the legendary and still influential Jack Mundey who has made an enormous contribution to the preservation of Sydney's heritage and earned himself a slot as one of the ten Sydney visionaries celebrated at the Museum of Sydney (which is not on this walk).

The QVB could consume some time if you like to browse the shops, or stop for morning tea, but even those who loathe shopping should at least walk through and look up and around as you wander. You won't be short of options for indulging in some guilty pleasures along the way.

Emerge from the QVB onto Market Street. Head to the east to George Street and then start heading north. Cross the road. You pass the Galeries Victoria "a lifestyle and cultural destination for fashion art and music".

If you don't lose yourself in the Galeries.. perhaps in Books Kinokuniya (which seems to have a devoted set of disciples).. soon you will come to Dymocks. Dymocks is a Sydney institution and (like Kinokuniya) one of Sydney's best book stores... Plenty of Australian literature and kid's books can be found here.

Continue walking north along George St to the Strand Arcade an atmospheric and beautiful high end retail arcade.. and by far the loveliest way to get across to Pitt St Mall and on to our next destination... which is...

Sydney Tower Eye for a highrise view of our beautiful harbour with all it's winding nooks and quiet bays and across to the coast of golden beaches interrupted by craggy cliffs and headlands creating a string of sandy smiles for hundreds of miles north and south.  Access to Sydney Tower Eye is located in Westfield Sydney which can be accessed from Pitt St Mall.

With your feet back on the ground, before we move on, I must point out that another of the heritage glories of Sydney - the State Theatre is located to the west along Market St. The State Theatre is a very busy live performance venue. Originally built as a moving picture palace in the late 1920s best seats are in the stalls for modern live performances, but back in the days of silent movies best seats were dress circle which still provides excellent views of performances and is the more impressive seating in terms of appreciating the theatre itself.

Walk straight up Market St to Hyde Park and the Archibald fountain and it's lovely backdrop of St Mary's Cathedral. You can visit the Cathedral which is the "spiritual home of Sydney's Catholic community".  They are more geared up for casual visitors than the Anglican counterpart and offer a program of choral services and events. St Mary's is home to Australia's oldest ringing society in Australia the St Mary's Basillica Society of Change Ringers. Practice night is Thursday, and there are regular ringings for services listed on the website.

Back to Hyde Park: you have an option here to explore the park and take a loop down to the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park. It is a very beautiful memorial full of symbolism and has a small museum onsite. It is well worth your time. Honouring and remembering our service men and women is a fundamental element of Australian culture.

As we have included some of the largest Christian places of worship in our notes, it's also worth mentioning that just across the road from Hyde Park on Elizabeth St (west of Hyde Park) is the entrance to The Great Synagogue. "One of the finest Synagogues in the world". Check the website for tour times and information.

Moving on from Hyde Park, it's simply a matter of crossing the road to get to St James Church, Sydney's oldest church and one of our most significant historic buildings designed by convict architect Francis Greenway.  A while ago a British TV series was made about amazing buildings, for Sydney they passed over the Opera House and chose St James's Church because they felt it astonishing that it was built when and where it was. It demonstrated an awe inspiring ambition and confidence in the future of young Sydney town. Both St James's Church and Hyde Park Barracks (another Greenway building) were built in the Macquarie era. Lachlan Macquarie was a great visionary and the people of Sydney still hold him in great esteem for his work advancing the young colony, however it is acknowledged that, as part of the British invasion of traditional Aboriginal lands he was responsible for ordering the massacre of Aboriginal people at Appin. Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth are commemorated in many names and places in Sydney and across NSW. Macquarie's Grave, on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, is maintained at the expense of the National Trust of Australia and is inscribed "The Father of Australia".

Next on our agenda, is of course the World Heritage Listed Hyde Park Barracks. I would recommend allowing at least a couple of hours for exploring this site. Many early immigrants to Australia passed through the doors here, including two of my own forebears, my great great grandfather as a convict, and ten years later my great great grandmother, a free Irish orphan brought out under the Earl Grey Scheme.... both were shipped on to Moreton Bay (now in Queensland) where they married in 1850.  You will learn about both these (and more) uses of the Barracks during your visit.  Even if you choose to simply walk past the Barracks, do have a look at the Irish Famine Memorial which commemorates these young Irish women and their contribution to this country.

If you head north along Macquarie Street towards the Opera House you pass some of Sydney's other colonial era treasures including NSW State Parliament, The Mint and the State Library. Also along Macquarie St are a number of small cafes serving breakfast and lunch and entrances to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

We will follow the road as it sweeps around to the left / north and into Art Gallery Road. You will walk under the beautiful shady canopy of an avenue of Port Jackson fig trees through the Domain. As you pass, keep an eye out for the speaker's podiums on your left opposite the Art Gallery of NSW, this is  Speaker's Corner, established in 1878 as a place where people can speak to whatever issue they feel needs public attention.  Nearby is a restaurant and cafe where you might choose to take a break or have a meal.

The Art Gallery of NSW has plenty to see for art lovers including some of the nations best loved and most famous works. There is a lovely restaurant onsite with views down over Woolloomooloo Bay (pronounced Woola-malloo) and the historic Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf.

To continue down to Mrs Macquarie's Point, the best route is to follow the path on the eastern side (Art Gallery side) of the road as it veers down to the foreshore of Woolloomooloo Bay. Don't neglect to explore the little nooks and crannies along the way as they lead down to some surprises, such as the sculpture, Dual Nature, by Nigel Helyer. Along this way you will also find the Andrew (Boy) Charlton swimming pool. Boy Charlton was a champion Australian swimmer, born in North Sydney, who won the 1500 metres title in 20 minutes 6.6 seconds, setting new Olympic and world records at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.

From the Boy Charlton pool, it's a lovely walk down along Mrs Macquaries Road through an area where they have been re-establishing original vegetation, to Mrs Macquarie's Chair.which is actually a stone seat carved into the headland on Mrs Macquaries Point. Through this walk you have beautiful views of the harbour. 

As you round Mrs Macquaries Point the vista opens onto what has to be the most iconic view of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour bridge. It is also one of the most attractive views of the Sydney skyline as the modern towers hover above the green of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney as it hugs the headland and foreshores of Farm Cove.

Take your time and take a stroll admiring the stunning Sydney views as you walk along the level foreshore pathway into the botanic gardens. There is plenty of scope for exploring in the gardens, or having a lie down on the grass, a meal in the cafe or restaurant, or simply use the facilities. The gardens has changing botanical exhibitions at the Calyx and there is a variety of day and night time walks. If you fancy some time off your feet there is a small road train that operates within the gardens.

The obvious next stop on the walk is the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House is on a promontory called Bennelong Point. Woollarawarre Bennelong was one of the most notable Aboriginal people in the early history of modern Australia. Spare him, and his people, a thought as you contemplate the modern metropolis. You can learn more about Sydney's first people here.  I recommend you take a tour of the Opera House. You may also choose to have a bite to eat at the Opera Bar or the Opera Kitchen. Pause for a while on a seat along the Opera House forecourt and admire "The Coathanger" as Sydneysiders affectionately call the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park (a beautiful spectacle of light in Sydney's night-time sparkle); and Fort Dennison out in the harbour.

You can end the walk at Circular Quay using transport connections to return to your base, or you can continue around Circular Quay past the various street performers. Beyond the quay you reach The Rocks, another area saved by the Green Bans discussed above.

As evening moves in, or at another time you can continue around the foreshore all the way around Dawes Point, under the bridge to Walsh Bay for access to more theatre complexes such as Sydney Theatre or The Wharf that provide a home for the world renowned Sydney Theatre Company.  The land around Walsh Bay,  Millers Point and Barangaroo  was once the scene of  intensive marine industry, ship building and repair and commercial docks. The Barangaroo Project named for Barangaroo, a prominent Aboriginal woman of early Sydney, was initiated as an urban renewal project converting the old shipping container terminals into parklands and shopping and business precincts including restoring the original contours of the headland. The Barangaroo Project website provides information on the area and activities you can do there which includes regular Aboriginal cultural tours. From Barangaroo you can connect with Sydney Trains at Wynyard, or beyond Barangaroo is Cockle Bay and then Darling Harbour where you can connect with Sydney Ferries.