The Beatles Liverpool, England

As the Beatles once joked on one of their annual Christmas messages to their fans: “You can take a boy out of Liverpool, but you can never take Liverpool out of the boy.”

Even though none of the Beatles stayed in Liverpool, England once they became famous, they all were greatly influenced by the working class town they grew up in.

As hard as it is for a rock band to stick together, the common bond of coming from Liverpool played a large part in their ability to work together and form a brotherhood over 13 years (1957 to 1970).

One character trait that seems to distinguish Liverpudlians from the rest of Britain is their unique sense of humor. The Beatles charmed their fans and the press with their good-humored personalities.

 

The Beatles Childhood

In addition to their love of rock and roll, another thing that bonded John Lennon and Paul McCartney at least on a spiritual level was that they both lost their mothers.

Paul was 14 when his mother, Mary, died in 1955 of breast cancer. John was 17 when his mother, Julia, died from being hit by a car in 1958.

Although rarely discussed on the surface, the emotional effects from their tragic loss possibly brought them closer together on a subconscious level.

All four Beatles came from a different family situation:

John was raised by his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George since his mother wasn’t able to care for him and his father was estranged;

after his mother died, Paul was raised by his father who re-married in the early ’60’s;

George was raised by both parents;

and Ringo was raised by his mother and stepfather.

The dynamics of John, Paul, George and Ringo’s relationships with each other can be examined in a number of ways, but the fact that they all came from a town with character like Liverpool had a profound effect on their career together.

 

Liverpool pays tribute to The Beatles

The Beatles were proud of their heritage, and were happy to share their childhood hometown with the world through their songs like “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever”.

The Beatles and their songs have inspired the world to come visit this relatively unknown city put on the map by their beloved four sons. In fact, over the years, the “Penny Lane” street sign had to be painted on the wall, since anonymous fans kept stealing the physical signs off the street.

Now over 50 years after John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met, their hometown of Liverpool, England has become a mecca for Beatles fans. The annual Beatles Week held every August has grown into a massive festival with hundreds of thousands of Beatles fans attending.

In 1982, four streets in Liverpool were named after the Beatles:
John Lennon Drive, Paul McCartney Way, George Harrison Close and Ringo Starr Drive

In 1984, the Cavern Club on Mathew Street was reopened.

In 1990, a Beatles museum called The Beatles Story opened at the Albert Dock in Liverpool.

In 1998 and 2003, respectively, the childhood homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon were declared National Trust landmarks and were opened to the public.

In 2002, the Liverpool Airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

In 2008, a Beatles hotel called A Hard Day’s Night Hotel opened on John Street in Liverpool.

In December 2015, a permanent statue of The Beatles was unveiled at Liverpool’s Pier Head (pictured above).

Beatles Travel sites in Liverpool, England

John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s childhood homes
(Photos and story by Shelley Germeaux)

The National Trust offers tours through John Lennon’s childhood home at Mendips,

 

and Paul McCartney’s home at 20 Forthlin Road.