Our last day in Liverpool (and England) has arrived.
To end out trip on a high note, we went on a tour of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s childhood homes in Liverpool. Our group split up into two groups, with my group going to John’s home, known as Mendips, first.
John lived with his Aunt Mimi at 251 Menlove Ave. in Woolton, South Liverpool. While John’s mother was still alive, she was not in the best position to care for John, so he moved in with Aunt Mimi when he was just five years old.
As soon as we arrived at Mendips, it was apparent that Mendips was a nice house, especially for 60’s Liverpool. While not very big, our tour guide informed us that Aunt Mimi took great pride in Mendips, which was very apparent as we walked through the house.
We learned all about John’s life at Mendips, where he would write his first songs, meet up with Paul (whom Aunt Mimi was wary of at first), and more. It was so fascinating to see how John Lennon lived growing up and be able to stand in the home that he spent so much time in.
Mendips – John Lennon’s childhood home
After John’s house, we moved on to Paul’s house. Paul’s home, which he moved to after the death of his mother, was located at 20 Forthlin Rd. It was much smaller and in a poorer area of Liverpool compared to John’s house. This was why Aunt Mimi was wary of John hanging out with Paul at first; she wasn’t sure if he would be a good influence on her nephew. But Paul and his gentlemanly ways was quickly able to win Aunt Mimi over, and Paul and John quickly became close friends, riding their bikes to and from each others’ homes.
It was at Paul’s childhood home that the Beatles got their true start. You would often find them here meeting and working on songs together, and Paul wrote all of his first songs on his piano in the living room. It was really cool to be able to see where Paul grew up, especially in comparison to John, and walk through a home that had so much to do with the early days of the Beatles.
Paul McCartney’s childhood home
We then went on the Mona Best’s Casbah Coffee Club. Mona Best, the mother of Pete Best, the Beatles original drummer, created the Casbah Club in the basement of their home so that her sons would have a place to meet with friends and listen to music. Thus it was that the Beatles played here a lot in their early days. They even helped Mona paint the ceiling in the club.
Mona Best’s Casbah Coffee Club
Ceiling at the Casbah Club painted by the Beatles
After the tour, we went back to the hotel to regroup before our last group dinner of the trip. We went to a local Mediterranean restaurant in Liverpool, and then finished the night off (once again) at the Cavern Club. This was a really bittersweet moment, as we were all dancing and singing along to the great music at the club, but knew that this was our last night together in England. It was such a memorable night!
Last night at the Cavern Club
Tomorrow we will fly back the States. This trip was such an amazing experience for me. I have now officially been oversees, and I learned so much about England, the British Invasion, music, the Beatles, and so much more. I will never forget my time spent here in England!