Today we went on a Magical Mystery tour bus of the different sites important to the Beatles around Liverpool.
We drove around Liverpool for two hours, stopping at sites such as Penny Lane, Strawberry fields, and St. Peter’s Church where Paul first met John, who was performing at the church’s annual Garden Fete. Near the church was the grave of Elinor Rigby (though not the actual Elinor Rigby from the song, but still pretty cool.) It was really cool to get to see in person all of the sites that placed such a big role in the Beatles’ lives, and stand in the same spots that they did when these events were originally unfolding.
Penny Lane street sign
Picture at Strawberry Fields
The grave of Elinor Rigby
Normally the Magical Mystery Bus tour lasts for two hours, but Dave Jones extended the tour specifically for our group, which was awesome. As a part of our extended tour, we went to the Quarry Bank School. John Lennon attended this school as a teenager, and here he formed a skiffle group called the “Quarrymen” that would eventually become the Beatles. It was with the Quarry Men that John was performing when he first met Paul, so this school really set things in motion for the Beatles.
At Quarry Bank, we were able to see yearbooks and pictures of John, and hear stories about his troublesome ways from Alum who knew him. It was so cool to be able to hear personal accounts of what John was like in his school days. We even got to see the uniforms that the students would have worn during the 60’s; some in our group even tried them on, which was pretty funny to see. We also were given a special musical performance by a student at the school, which was so much fun!
John Lennon’s class at Quarry Bank High School for Boys
The Quarrymen – performing at the Garden Fete at St. Peter’s Church
After the extended Magical Mystery Tour was over, we all went back to the Cavern Club for another talk from Dave Jones. He told us all about the business side of running the Cavern Club and the tourism industry associated with it. He gave us some invaluable advice about following your passions and never giving up, as people originally thought he was crazy trying to start a tourism industry focused on the Beatles and the Cavern Club. Through his persistence, he was able to make the Cavern and its associated tourism ventures (like the Magical Mystery Tour and the Hard Days Night Hotel) a success, and we all could learn a lot from his principles as a businessman.
Back room of the Cavern where we had our lecture with Dave Jones
Once again, we finished off the day listening to some group music at the Cavern club. So far, I have learned a lot about the Beatles while here in Liverpool than I ever thought I would! It has been a great experience so far!