Last August I headed over to Liverpool for the day to catch the end of the wonderful International Beatleweek Festival which this year runs from 23rd - 29th August 2023. It's a wonderful celebration of the music of the Beatles, attracting tribute bands from all over the world which play across all the venues most associated with the Beatles, including the famous Cavern Club.
Blessed with wonderful weather, my own journey started in the morning at the World Museum, located on William Brown Street:
This grand classical building (typical of many of the civic buildings in Liverpool) houses many interesting collections ranging from ancient Egypt to World Cultures and there is also a dinosaur exhibition. My particular interest last year was a Doctor Who exhibition which was a temporary exhibit for 2022. I call this out because it's worth noting that as well as the history of the Beatles being so obviously linked to the city, so is Doctor Who's. As well as giving us two Doctors in the form of the 4th (Tom Baker) and the 8th (Paul McGann); Liverpool has also given us the most-loved and longest-running companion in the form of the late Elisabeth Sladen as well as a host of other companions, guest stars and writers:
My next stop was the Albert Dock which has been wonderfully restored and is a fantastic place nowadays to eat and drink and listen to some live music. I had a great time just chilling out in the sunshine listening to a Beatles' tribute band whilst eating some outstanding Mexican Tacos for lunch at Madre
I also had pre-booked a ticket on the Magical Mystery Tour . These 2 hour coach tours of the city depart from Albert Dock and provide a tour of all four Beatles' childhood homes (though not the interiors: Paul and John's home inside can be seen via the National Trust Tours ) as well as visiting the locations that inspired many of their songs such as Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever, and Eleanor Rigby. The tour guide was both informative and knowledgeable about the Beatles' history and happy to take questions, and the journey was made all the more enjoyable by snippets of Beatles' songs played as we made our way across the city. You can take photographs but be mindful that only Paul and John's homes are in National Trust hands so respect the fact these are private homes/ streets.
Next stop for me was the Beatle's Museum, just opposite the Cavern Club on Mathew Street. This houses one of the largest collections of Beatles memorabilia in the world, spread across 3 floors. Personally I really liked the art dedicated to the Beatles and it was really nice to see the Beatles being celebrated in various art forms: and not just via collected memorabilia. I particularly liked Jonathan Hague's tribute to John Lennon:
Last, but by no means least, no visit to Beatleweek would be complete without a visit to the Cavern Club - the venue where the Beatles played a lot during their early years as a band. The venue of course is a re-creation having moved location from its original venue and re-opened at this venue in 1973. I actually spent a lot of time over the road at the Cavern Pub since a band I wanted to see was playing there on recommendation from an American friend. Union Jack British Invasion are also performing in 2023 at Beatleweek.
On leaving the city I noticed the amazing Town Hall and I couldn't help thinking that this magnificent building looked similar to many buildings I have seen down in Bath:
I guessed correctly, since its architect was John Wood, who was responsible for many of Bath's buildings during that city's Georgian rebuilding. This town hall, a Grade 1 listed building, is considered as one of the finest in the whole country and is also venue for weddings. After a fire in 1795, the dome was added to the building, and the Roman Goddess Minerva sits atop. Minerva is the Roman Goddess of wisdom, but also became synonymous with the Celtic God Sulis in Bath as a symbol of that city, so perhaps this added statue was a nod to Bathonian John Wood for this amazing building? [More on Bath on my next blog!]
In closing, Liverpool has seen an amazing transformation take place over the last 30 years or so. Historic buildings have been restored; there a wealth of good restaurants and great venues to catch live music, especially during BeatleWeek where the city opens up to fans and bands from all over the world. If you are staying for more than a day then it is surely worth taking advantage of some of the BeatleWeek packages which combines multiple entries via various tiered packages. I strongly recommend booking things online in advance as the city does get busy during this festival and highly recommend the Magical Mystery Tour as a fun way of seeing the city with a Beatles' slant.