International Beatle Week 2018 in Liverpool

[vlogdance]

I've just come back from a couple of days in Liverpool. Didn't realise this until I got there, but this week, the city is in the middle of an annual festival, International Beatle Week. Tribute bands playing all day at the Cavern, guest speakers, special events and exhibitions. 

I'd picked this week to visit because some French friends of mine were coming over to visit Liverpool, so I said I'd come up and meet them there. I'd been once before, but this trip had some new, fresh highlights:

One special moment was popping into this church hall in the Woolton area. Normally the church hall is closed, except for church meetings, but during International Beatle Week, it's open to the public every day. We got there just after closing time, but the kind lady caretaker opened it up for us to visit.



Naturally, I resisted the temptation to stand near where the stage used to be, and launch into a version of "Twenty Flight Rock" on left-handed air guitar. (But not for very long.)

Discerning forumheads will have guessed why we wanted to visit this particular church hall:



Then we crossed the road to the cemetery opposite, and found the grave of Eleanor Rigby. 



You can't help thinking that the lady herself would have been amazed at so many visitors coming from "all over the world" to see her resting place. 

The French friends wanted to go on the Magical Mystery Tour, a bus tour of Beatles landmarks, so off we went. 



Still forever.

While we were admiring this place, I got talking to an American man who was on the tour bus with a group of five or six others.
When I mentioned ELO, this friendly American said: "We went to see Jeff Lynne in Illinois last week!" Clearly a man of taste. 
It turned out his group of friends were a band, and he was the singer. He gave me their card and invited us to see them at the Cavern the next day. So we went...



The band were really good, played covers of John Lennon songs. Mr Singer is in the middle, in the red and black floral shirt. 
(Bonus point to any forumhead who can guess why I noticed him and got talking to him, on the bus tour?)

Ahem, yes, well. Back in the city...



Four important guys from the "you say you want an Industrial Revolution".

And, to finish, it wouldn't be a forum trip without some ELO influence, would it?



Spotted this on one of the local underground stations.



And after our Friday night curry (as approved by the Horacewimp Guidebook) the restaurant gave us these. 

So, more happy memories of Liverpool. Always good to make a new Discovery. 

[Helmut83]

How great to be le to go inside the building where Paul and John first met. Of all the Beatle-related buildings in Liverpool (and in the whole of England) the one I most wanted to see was that one, as it's where the big band of modern music took place. Unfortunately I couldn't (just from the outside), but how great that you were able to go in and thanks for sharing the photos.

PS: I guessed correctly why Mr Singer called Vlog's attention.

[unomusette]

Looks like a mightily successful trip vlogdance, are you keeping in touch with that distinctively handsome singer? Bet he'd appreciate a good welsh cake and it would be a shame to deprive him....

I never realised Eleanor Rigby was at rest so close to John and Paul's first meeting place it's good to be enlightened And it's also good to see you keeping up forum tradtions, with curry and the appreciation of a properly historical monument

[vlogdance]

I thought it only right and proper to congratulate Mr Singer on his show afterwards, Uno bach    Sadly, had no Welsh cakes to hand.

(Er, and while talking about ELO, I think I might have mentioned his resemblance to a member of the classic line-up.)

[unomusette]

Scream! That's the best photo I've seen in AGES! Go vlogdance bach!

[Horacewimp]

Great pictures and write up vlogdance thanks for sharing looks like you had a great time.

So I guess Illinois is next on your holiday list in the hope to meet with Mik’s doppelgänger

[vlogdance]

Dear me, Horace - do I seem like the kind of person who would fly off to a foreign city, just to say hello to a nice, whiskery, musical man and hand him some home-baked Welsh cakes? 
Er, don't answer that! 

[BSJ]

I will.         

                            YES!