Liverpool and The Beatles

Liverpool became famous throughout the world in the 1960s due to (debido a) the appearance of four young Scousers (Liverpudlians )  with the ordinary names of John, Paul, George and Richard. Richard didn’t quite sound right,(sonaba bien ) so the fourth member changed his name to Ringo because of the number of rings he wore on his drummer’s fingers. The Beatles really put Liverpool on the map and the city became the centre of attention for the whole world. They were soon followed by other local groups, some of whom also became famous: The Dave Clark Five; Gerry and the Pacemakers (with their most famous songs Ferry Across the Mersey and You’ll Never Walk Alone); Cilla Black and many others. The references to Liverpool in the Beatles’ songs are many. Just to name a few, how about taking a stroll ( un paseo) down Penny Lane or visiting the orphanage at Strawberry Fields (which no longer exists, but you can at least see where it used to be). Any visit to Liverpool should include  the Cavern Club, where The Beatles played in their early days and which was really nothing more than a very dirty and dangerous cellar.(sótano) It was knocked down (derribado) in the early seventies, but has since been rebuilt, brick by brick (ladrillo a ladrillo)  , as a tourist attraction. And don’t forget  to go and see The Beatles Museum. The Beatles had an enormous influence on popular culture and, even today, they remain Liverpool’s most important icon. A visit to Liverpool automatically begins with The Beatles when you fly into John Lennon International Airport!

Forthlin Road and Penny Lane

Paul McCartney was living at 20 Forthlin Road when he first met John Lennon, and it was here that they rehearsed (ensayaron ) as The Beatles. From this house he would walk to Woolton, where John lived with his Aunt Mimi. Paul and John often played truant ( hacer novillos) while Paul’s dad was away at work and went back to Paul’s house to write their early songs. They wrote Love Me Do and I Saw Her Standing There in the front room of 20 Forthlin Road.  Paul was still living in the house when the Beatles found worldwide  fame, and he used his memories of the house and the neighbourhood in writing songs: Penny Lane was nearby, the barber shop and fire station were all real places that went into his lyrics. The roundabout and the bus shelter on Penny Lane are still there, and as any Beatles fan will tell you, it’s a wonderful feeling to visit them.