studentsineurope

Postcards: Penny Lane is in My Ears and in My Eyes

Magical Mystery Tour

Today starts a journey into a world of Beatlemania. Throughout my life, I have been a huge fan of the 1960s group, the Beatles. Millions of people from all over the world come to the city of Liverpool to experience the homeland and humble beginnings of this iconic rock group.

Our journey starts with the Magical Mystery Tour. Because we’re staying at the Hard Days Night Hotel, we’re very close to all things Beatles.  The hotel sits on the corner of Mathew Street, home of the Cavern Club and multiple haunts of the group. The Magical Mystery Tour, a brightly colored bus much like the one in the film, meets on the Albert Dock outside of the Beatles Experience store and museum, with a guide aboard to take you on an exceptional ride through the band’s history in Liverpool.

First stops are the boyhood homes of the fab four.

The Fab Four and Their Homes

We saw Ringo Starr’s home and learned more about his sickly childhood. Next stop was a quick stroll through the suburban streets to find George Harrison’s boyhood home on Admiral Grove.

Next was none other than Penny Lane. On one end of the lush green street is a park and residential area, while the other end is a bustling suburb exactly as the Beatles described it. The barber shop still stands along with the bank building and shelter in the middle of the roundabout.

Strawberry Field and Penny Lane

Continuing on and listening to Beatles music all the while, we came to the famous Strawberry Field. Originally an orphanage, John Lennon used to play in Strawberry Field as a child. The bright red gate of the original building still stands today.

Moving onward, we find ourselves at Paul and John’s boyhood homes. The tour includes a walk up to his home and viewing the window of the room where John and Paul wrote so many of their early songs.  The tour ends in front of the hotel and by the famous Cavern Club where musicians from all over the world still come to play.

Finishing up our Beatle-filled day was a trip to the Beatles Experience. This museum offers sets that demonstrate the many stages of the Beatles. A quick walk takes you from Liverpool in the 1940s to Hamburg, Germany and right through to Yellow Submarine and John Lennon’s “this is not here” room from his famous hit, Imagine. The entire museum is made of elaborate sets that make you feel like you’re a part of it all.

Walking back from the Albert Dock and taking in all of the sights and sounds, I realize that Liverpool is one of the most unique, interesting, and beautiful locations I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit.

Quick Tips:

• Take the Magical Mystery Tour. Whether you’re a huge fan, or can’t name a single Beatle, take the tour. You’ll have a great time singing along to Beatle favorites and bumping around on the bus through Liverpool’s suburbs.
• Visit the Beatles Experience. Discounts are available through both the hotel and travel websites like Expedia when you book with the Hard Days Night Hotel.
• Go out and see some new music in Liverpool. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the continuing ingenuity of this city and its people.