Side trips from our base cities have always proved interesting and exciting. So, our visit to Liverpool was with great anticipation. We took an an easy 35 mile train riders this city west of Manchester. Formed as a borough in 1207 and as a city in 1880, it celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007. However, now-a-days, it is more noted as being the the hometown of the 1960's rock group, The Beatles. A 15 minute walk from the train station is "The Beatles Story" museum, along Albert Dock. This world's largest exhibition dedicated to the lives and times of "The Fab Four" was opened in 1990 and sees approximately 300,000 visitors per year. Lorraine and I were in our mid-to-late teens when this group revolutionized the music industry. Thus, we were looking forward to re-hashing some of those memories. Spread between two buildings, this museum follows the Beatles from their beginnings as a Skiffle band ( having roots in jazz, blues, and folk music and usually using homemade or improvised instruments) known as the "The Black Jacks" and formed by John Lennon, to their phenomenal rise as a rock band, and until their final break-up in 1970. There is a lot more to see in Liverpool besides this wonderful museum, so we're planning another trip back here during future travels. Situated on the west coast of the U.K., Liverpool is at the confluence of the Mersey River and the Irish Sea. Albert Dock's complex of warehouses and buildings was the "...first non-combustible warehouse system in the world" as it was completely built of cast iron, brick and stone... There are swan boats here similar to the ones we know in the Public Gardens of Boston. Alber Dock also serves as the backdrop for "The Beatles Story" museum. "The Fab Four" began their career here as a skiffle band known as the "Black Jacks". It was formed by John Lennon. The cover photo of the "Abbey Road" album, showing the band outside of Abbey Road Studios, became "...one of the most famous images in the history of recorded music." Notice that Paul McCartney is barefoot. The museum re-created the stage of the Cavern Club where the band frequently played during their early years. Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, owned his own recording studio; The North End Music Stores. Various portions of the museum focus on the different albums the group made. This one is devoted to "The Yellow Submarine" album The Beatles, plus two.
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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