If you`re strolling down Penny Lane; you`re singing the lyrics. You can`t help it. Especially if you`ve parked up and said hello to Jim. You can`t miss him, because even on a scorching Monday morning, `there...beneath the blue suburban skies....` this school crossing patrol man is resplendent and glowingly warm in orange high-vis.
The trip to Liverpool was Peter`s idea really. He`s Swedish; works for Volvo--and loves the Beatles. Always has. He`s married to Nina, (also Swedish...); a lifelong friend of mine.
So because they were visiting us in Shropshire, Peter wondered if it might be a good chance to whiz to Merseyside, have a tour round the Beatles` Story in Albert Dock, and maybe find some of the places mentioned in the Fab Four`s songs.
We loved the exhibition.Lots of artefacts, and music and audio clips tracing the Beatles` rise to fame from humble beginnings--really well laid out, and a great souvenir shop at the end.
And afterwards, although there are Beatles themed taxi tours round the city, we decided to go it alone.Well, alone with a phone. And on foot. It meant a pretty long hike from Penny Lane up Beech Lane, towards the rather sad looking gateway to Strawberry Fields, and on to Eleanor Rigby`s churchyard. But the people we picked on at random to check on directions were all so helpful. And, seemingly, so proud to be Liverpudlian.
Two people--one a young professional woman, possibly on her way to work; another a guy out shopping, didn`t think twice about saying `come on...I`m going that way, walk with me`. And they walked. And talked. Is this what being Liverpudlian`s all about? Loving where you live? If so, could we all learn a lesson from them?
Those people, along with the barmaid at the Gardener`s Arms where we gulped ice cold coke, to the guy in the coffee shop round the corner in the village of Woolton (sorted our lunch and then found us a taxi to save another five mile hike back to the car ), left our Swedish guests with a fantastic impression of the city, and its people.
Meanwhile back....... hours later.....Jim was still there,asking us how our walk had gone; checking what we`d seen. We had another great chat with him, and thanked him for all his help. And just as Peter`s gleaming black Volvo prepared to purr out of Penny Lane...there was a tap on the window. Jim again.
`I was just going to say....` he mouthed, silently, peaked cap bobbing into the driver`s side as the window slid down so we could hear him...`that if you`ve got the time and you`ve done the Beatles....` (could we ever be done with the Beatles...?).....`there`s a bloody great big ship just come in...`
Legend.
And a brilliant day out. Thanks, Jim. Thanks Liverpool.
http://www.beatlesstory.com
@janemcintyre12. New phone, touchy keyboard, strange blog comment-oops. Loved my proxy trip round Lpool. Thank you.
@janemcintyre12 @Gary_Bainbridge I had such an amazing time when I visited Liverpool. So friendly, so much fun.
@janemcintyre12 I didn't comment but I enjoyed it too
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