The British Exit Of The EU: What Does This Mean For People Travelling To The UK?

The UK as it stands today: England is in Red, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in white.

As many of you might know by now, the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. This means that trading ties and immigration are under threat with continental Europe and much of Britain is divided.

For people travelling from the USA and other countries outside Europe to Britain, this shouldn't affect you. Things will stay relatively the same. So visiting the island should not be put off.

Prices for things might escalate, this includes food, travel and other such necessities and if you are worried about prices escalating in Liverpool for Beatles things to do, check on the relevant websites such as the National Trust and the Liverpool Tourism website.

Paul McCartney Rejects The Voice UK Judge Position

Paul says No. (Image: Apple Corp)

Paul has been asked to be a judge on the Voice in the UK, which he has roundly rejected.

The Voice in the UK is moving to ITV from the BBC and obviously thinks they have enough clout to lure Paul into a judging position. Obviously, they don't. They got rid of Tom Jones as a judge unceremoniously so Paul is rightly not moving into that chair.

I'm sure many fans would love to see him judging people on the Voice but I can wholeheartedly understand Paul's rejection of the position. Tom Jones himself has said that the show pressured him into picking singers he didn't like...who's going to pressure Paul into picking a bad singer? Certainly not the Voice producers.

I'm In Love with London and I Feel Fine

 

Leaving my mark on the Abbey Road Wall.

By Elizabeth Alvarado

Okay, the title might be a bit of an understatement because I feel more than fine. But I really wanted to throw in a Beatles song reference to make this seem more exciting than "My adventures in London" or some other boring title like that.

Signed John Lennon guitar, I'm not making this up!

And a signed Paul McCartney guitar that used to be at the Apple offices.

For as long as I can remember, London has been the one place I've always wanted to visit. England itself seemed like such a magical place and I know that sounds really cheesy but I don't know how else to describe it. I've always been so drawn to this place. So you can imagine my surprise when I was accepted to a study abroad program in London through my university. Finally I was going to visit the one place I'd always dreamed of going. Ten glorious weeks in London. It seemed so unreal. Honestly, being here still seems so unreal.

I arrived in London on March 23rd and everything has been so insanely amazing. I can't remember the last time I felt this happy. As a huge Beatles fan, this is the ultimate pilgrimage to make (apart from Liverpool of course) and it's still beyond me how much better London is than I thought it would be. Yes, this is really mushy and full of clichés but this is what London has done to me.

The second week I was here I went to see "Let It Be" which is a musical on the west end about the Beatles. It's basically a tribute band singing over 40 Beatles songs. The guys looked nothing like the real Beatles (surprise, surprise) but I was far enough way that if I squinted and turned my head to the side I could trick myself into thinking they looked just like them. It was actually really fun - the show not pretending they looked like the Beatles. The show ended with "Hey Jude" and I swear that song might just be the closest thing we have to magic. The way it brings people together never fails to amaze me. Throughout the show much of the audience had been reserved and casually nodded their heads along to the music (unlike me who was screaming out every song and probably (definitely) embarrassing myself) but once "Hey Jude" started everyone was on their feet screaming out the lyrics and it was great. If there’s one thing I love, it’s not being the only person embarrassing myself through my horrible singing. 

The Bag O'Nails Club!

The next day I visited Abbey Road and I was so overcome with emotion that I actually started to cry. I mean, I pretty much cry at everything but I really wasn't expecting this. I'd seen Abbey Road Studios in so many pictures and to actually be there was quite an experience. After signing the wall with possibly the lamest message ever, I took approximately 6,384 pictures. (This is a joke, by the way - but it was a lot) Finally I was going to cross that famous crosswalk. It didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped considering that cars would pass by in a hurry and honk incessantly, but I finally did it. None of the pictures came out too well but I'm not sure whether that's my fault for being so awkward or my roommate's for being the worst photographer ever. 

*Insert Heavy Fan Girl Breathing Here*

Don't know what I'm doing with my hands but I felt SO happy here!!

 

Me, trying not to cry and smile at the same time.

Obviously the next stop after Abbey Road was Paul McCartney's house. Luckily, no one else thought to visit Paul's house so I was alone with my photographer and yes, I started crying here too. For some reason, I kept remembering this thing I'd read in a book once about how fans would stand on overturned flower pots to peek over the gate and they'd be able to see Paul in the bathroom. Yes, in the bathroom (!!!). As I was standing outside the gate I kept thinking about how great it must have been to be a Beatles fan in the 60s. Just to see Paul in the bathroom.

People walking by gave me weird looks for taking a photo of the sign but I didn't care, I had to get one!

Paul's house. Unfortunately, no overturned flower pots so I could peek over the gate.

 

This past weekend I went on a Beatles walking tour and it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. Sure, the tour guide spit a lot when he spoke but he was nice and seemed really enthusiastic. I kind of wish he'd been younger though because I seriously think we could have been soul mates. He majored in journalism too and he loves the Beatles. And obviously those two characteristics are the only ones needed to qualify as my soul mate. After the tour, I went back to Abbey Road and just leaned against the gate hoping and praying I’d magically be transported back in time, but alas, nothing. While I was standing there an old man approached me and gave me a flier advertising his Beatles shop down the road. After a few more minutes of wishful thinking I followed the directions on the flier to the shop and while it was tiny, it was overfilled with tons of Beatles merchandise. There was even original memorabilia from the 60s that the owner has been collecting for years. I had a nice chat with him about his collection and then I left with my purchases which included a Beatles pen, shot glass and mug – three things I obviously need.

A costume from 'Help!'

Just in case I haven't made it obvious enough - London has been everything I'd hoped for and much, much more. I wish I could just stay here forever and ever. Do you ever have those moments where you feel as if you're dreaming? Because that's exactly how I feel right now. And I never want to wake up.

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We'd like to thank Elizabeth for graciously taking time out of her adventures to do a write up for us here so THANK YOU and we encourage you to check out Elizabeth's writing at:

http://www.collegemagazine.com/author/alvara64uw-edu/

Visiting The United Kingdom - A Guide for Beatles Fans

The United Kingdom is made up of 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. (Image © Freeworldmaps.net)

Visiting the United Kingdom is every non-British Beatle fans' dream. As a native Brit myself, I have decided to create this post to advise those who are going to be visiting Britain for the first time and to make the most out of their experience.

Beatles fans will want to visit England, in particular the cities of Liverpool and London.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool Skyline with the HMS Ark Royal.

Liverpool is situated in the county of Merseyside, which is in the northwest of England. Liverpool has the singular distinction of being the true birthplace of John, Paul, George and Ringo in the 1940s and is the city where the Beatles were formed in the late 1950s.

As such, Liverpool is full of historic Beatles sites and buildings that will forever be associated with the band. These include:

251 Menlove Avenue "Mendips"- John Lennon lived here under the care of his Aunt Mimi & Uncle George, George Smith died in 1955 and Lennon remained in Mendips until he moved out when Beatlemania was in full swing in 1963. Mimi sold Mendips in 1965 and moved down to a bungalow that John had bought for her in Poole, Dorset in the south of England. She remained in Poole until her death in December 1991. Mimi passed away nearly 11 years to the day John Lennon was murdered on 8th December 1980. Mendips was bought by Yoko Ono and she donated it to the National Trust who restored it's interior to how it would have looked when Lennon was living there in the 1950s and now offer tours of the property to fans.

20 Forthlin Road - Paul McCartney's former childhood home which is also under the care of the National Trust. Like Lennon's home, 20 Forthlin road is also restored to how it would have looked when McCartney lived there and is available for tours by the National Trust. Many early Beatles songs were written at 20 Forthlin road and this is what interested the National Trust in the property. Paul McCartney moved out of the home in 1963 and his father, Jim, moved out of 20 Forthlin road in 1965 when Paul bought him a house in the Wirral. Jim died in 1976. In 1995 the National Trust purchased the property and opened it to the public in 1998.

12 Arnold Grove - George Harrison's birthplace. George lived in this house for the first 6 years of his life before the family moved to 25 Upton Green in Speke, another area of Liverpool. Today, 12 Arnold Grove is privately owned and you can view the house's exterior, the interior is not open to the public and probably wouldn't contain any references to George Harrison as a toddler anyway.

25 Upton Green -This was George Harrison's second Liverpool home. He lived here from 1950 to 1963 and this was the house where George's mother Louise encouraged the early Beatles to practice and hone their stage act. This is also still privately owned and not open to the public.

10 Admiral Grove -This was Ringo's second Liverpool home. His Madryn street birthplace was under threat of demolition but plans have been halted, despite Ringo himself saying not to bother as he didn't really remember Madryn street anyway.  10 Admiral Grove can be seen in the 1963 documentary 'The Mersey Sound' when Ringo leaves the house and gets mobbed by kids while getting into a car driven by George Harrison. 10 Admiral Grove is privately owned and not open to the public.

St. Peter's Church - Lennon and McCartney met for the first time here in 1957. There is also a gravestone in the churchyard that bears the name 'Eleanor Rigby' which is thought by some to have inspired the song.

The Cavern Club - The Beatles performed for a total of 263 times here between 1961 and 1963. This is also where Brian Epstein first saw them perform in 1961. The club closed in 1973 and, in an enormous amount of stupidity by Liverpool city council and British Rail, who wanted to demolish the street level buildings for work to commence on a new underground rail system, the Cavern was filled in to provide foundation for a car park. It remained like a sealed tomb for the rest of the decade and finally it was extensively rebuilt in 1984 and reopened. The club today is estimated to retain 75% of the original club.

Strawberry Field - Strawberry Field was an orphanage run by the Salvation Army from 1936 to 2005. Lennon grew up only a short distance away and would attend the annual garden parties thrown in the grounds as a child. In 1966 while filming 'How I Won The War' Lennon wrote 'Strawberry Fields Forever' a song which ensured the orphanage worldwide fame and now the red gates and sign at the entrance is regularly visited by tourists from all over the world.

Penny Lane - Penny Lane is a road in Liverpool and was made famous by the song 'Penny Lane' which was largely written by Paul. The song largely refers to the Penny Lane junction between Smithdown road and as such there are a number of familiar references when one visits there. The "shelter in the middle of the roundabout" was turned into the "Sgt Pepper's Bistro" in the 1980s but it failed and has stood derelict for many years. However, there are plans to re-open the cafe in the future.

There are numerous other Beatle related sites in Liverpool, ranging from the minor "The Beatles once stood here" to the major "The Beatles once played here" and are too numerous to mention. Some of the bigger attractions are The Grapes Pub, The Jacaranda, The Casbah Coffee Club, NEMS Record Store (although there are plans to demolish the building and put in a Forever 21) and Liverpool Town Hall. There is also the festival 'Beatles Week' that attracts tourists and bands annually every August to celebrate the band.

As soon as you enter Liverpool, it won't be long (yeah!) till you see or hear a Beatles reference. In Liverpool, the Beatles are in your ears and in your eyes.

LONDON

London Skyline looking west with Tower Bridge in the foreground.

 London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom and is a famous city all over the world. In 1963 the Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein moved permanently to London, which kicked off 'Swinging London' and its status as the centre of the world was cemented. As such, there are many historic Beatle sites and places in London for people to see.

Abbey Road Studios - Where the Beatles recorded all of their albums except for 'Let It Be' which was recorded at Twickenham Film Studios and 3 Savile Row. Abbey Road is a major mecca for Beatles fans who like to replicate the album cover of the final recorded Beatles album 'Abbey Road' by walking across the zebra crossing which is a few yards from the studios themselves. The studios are still in operation today but are not open to the general public. The only way you will get to see the famous Studio Two is by paying for a recording session in there.

3 Savile Row - From 1968 to 1975, the Beatles' company Apple Corps was headquartered in this building. Though the Beatles didn't have much to do with the building after 1970, their brief time here is, like everything else they did, marked in the history books. Filming of the Let It Be recording sessions for their documentary film of the same name was done in the basement recording studio and on the roof of the building, the Beatles gave their last ever live performance on 30th January 1969. These days, the building is unoccupied but is owned by a group that leases out the building. In 2011 they leased the building to Abercrombie and Fitch who had plans to open a store on the historic site. As of 2013 those plans were quashed by Westminster Council so the fate of Savile Row hangs in the balance. It is not open to the public.

7 Cavendish Avenue - This townhouse is just a short walk from Abbey Road and belongs to Paul McCartney who has owned it since 1965. Cavendish Avenue is definitely NOT open to the public but you can walk past.

57 Green Street - The only place where the Beatles lived together. They shared the top floor flat at 57 Green Street in the autumn of 1963. They didn't live together here very long though as Beatlemania was in full swing and as soon as fans found out the address they had to leave. John moved out in late '63 into a flat in Knightsbridge with Cynthia and Julian, Paul moved into his then girlfriend Jane Asher's house in Wimpole Street. George & Ringo were the last to leave shortly after they returned from the Beatles first USA visit in February 1964. George & Ringo moved to Whaddon House with Brian Epstein and lived there until they both bought homes in the home counties.


If you are looking to visit the Beatles' former and present homes in the UK, you must be aware that they are private property and that the new occupants may be Rolling Stones fans ;-) But seriously, they will probably be less than thrilled at you being there, so proceed with caution.

The Beatles probably visited every major city of the UK, either together on tour or separately. If you have any questions regarding your visit to the UK and would like some further information, please feel free to email me. I'm happy to talk about the Beatles in their homeland! :-)

The Beatles in Liverpool, 1962.

In Memoriam: Sir David Frost (1939 - 2013)

Frost in the early 1960s

Sir David Frost, a true giant of the last 50 years of British TV, has died. He was 74.

Frost was host, in the 60s of the satirical program 'That Was The Week That Was' and spent much of his career interviewing Prime Ministers, Presidents and, of course, The Beatles.

Frost first had  Paul McCartney on his show in 1964 and interviewed him about the Beatles career and where it was going. The interview is notable for David's prediction that McCartney would retire "in about the year 2010" and in 2012, McCartney and Frost gleefully reviewed that footage in a special interview that Frost conducted with Paul.

McCartney & Frost in 1964

Interviewing Harrison & Lennon in 1967

Frost, of course, interviewed the other Beatles and introduced their 1968 performance of Hey Jude on his show as "The greatest tea room orchestra in the world".

Frost may be better known to the United States through his series of interviews in 1977 with then ex-President Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal  which was turned into a motion picture in 2008 starring Michael Sheen as Frost.

Frost is well known to British viewers though for his trademark and often imitated catchphrase "Hello, Good evening and welcome" and for presenting the show 'Through The Keyhole' with Lloyd Grossman which was a show that looked around the houses of a celebrity and had a celebrity panel try to guess who the house belonged to. Frost hosted and produced the show from 1987 to 2008.