Across the Universe: As a Beatles Fan

John, George, Ringo, and (my personal favorite) Paul. It is without a doubt that the Fab Four put Liverpool, UK, on the map. These witty and talented young men went from singing in sweaty clubs to not being able to perform live without crowd screams drowning out their music. The Beatles revolutionized music, launching the “British Invasion” in the U.S. Famous for blending genres and experimenting with the recording studio, they had accomplished what no other band had before: a revolution. Although I didn’t quite know all this growing up. I simply sat in my elementary school chorus singing “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, thinking it seemed like a warped version of Alice in Wonderland. Essentially, I arrived late to the Beatlemania craze, but as soon as I was set for a semester abroad in England, I knew where I had to go. 

Here was my Beatles weekend in London & Liverpool (accompanied by my trooper of a friend Alyssa)!

• First stop: Abbey Road
  Starting in London, we took the Northern Line on the tube to Euston, transferring to the Lioness line and getting off at South Hempstead. After a pretty twenty-minute walk, we were at the infamous zebra crossing! Perusing around the store and letting the consumerism get to me (couldn’t help it), I bought an overpriced pencil in the effort to sign my name on the outside walls. Exiting the shop, I claimed my love for Paul McCartney and proceeded to walk the street like the band once did. After successfully not getting hit by a double-decker bus, we rushed back to the tube towards Euston. 
• Second Stop: Liverpool
  Booking a train from the Trip app, we traveled from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street in about four hours! Leaving the station reminded us a lot of Philly, but we had to get going.
• Third Stop: Liverpool Beatles Museum
  Located along Mathew St, this museum has three floors dedicated to each of the band’s musical eras. From their start with Pete Best (the original drummer), there was a lot of memorabilia, including Ringo’s cuff links. I loved seeing the real songbooks with original lyrics for “Hey Jude” and “Penny Lane,” and especially the limited-edition Funko Pops made of the band (I need them). There were even authentic fan-made items like clothing and mugs that fans made during the height of Beatlemania! This museum was fan-curated and showcased the Beatles’ rare artifacts. 
• Fourth Stop: Walk around their neighborhood
  My, once again, trooper friend and I ended up getting our steps in and visited both Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s childhood homes! Flaunting our “I love Paul” and “I love George” pins, we took a brisk walk through Penny Lane and the actual Strawberry Fields. There are actually no strawberries there, who would’ve thought? We ended our walk after sunset by taking pictures with the Beatles statue at the waterfront.
• Fifth Stop: Cavern Club 
  Although I was already shaking in my boots from the excitement all day, this had to be my favorite part. To be in the first venue where the Beatles gained popularity in and were discovered by their future manager Brian Epstein, I was within the very walls that hosted decades of music, even eventually the Arctic Monkeys. A Beatles tribute band came out dressed as them singing their greatest hits and I pretended I was back there in the 60s witnessing it all for the first time. 
  
  *Brief intermission while we got stuck in Liverpool and had to take a morning train back to London only to go right back the next day*
• Sixth Stop: A Beatles Story
  This museum located at the Royal Albert Dock was an incredibly fun and interactive way to experience the band’s phases. This walkthrough exhibition took us from their startup in Liverpool, rise of Beatlemania, the breakup, and their solo careers. With an audio guide and recreations of key locations, the museum was very picturesque, especially the Magic Mystery Bus and my favorite, the yellow submarine. I was also excited that both museums displayed the band’s debut in the U.S. and how they flew into JFK (as an NYC gal this was very cool)! Lastly, we stopped by the Fab Four Cafe to get chai lattes with the faces of our men on them (Paul & George), and headed back to London!

Overall, my main goal of having a Beatles weekend was successful and I was able to fan out over a band that was way before my time but will always be timeless. Fan or not, I’d recommend Liverpool to anyone, it’s such an important part of English history and a much-needed getaway from the city!