Back (in the USSR) Packing in England: Visiting the Beatles Story in Liverpool

“In my hour of darkness, there is still a light that shines on me” – The Beatles.

As 2014 arrived, it was time for me to make a return to Liverpool. It was a city I had passed through several times on ferries between Northern Ireland and England over the years. Yet despite once watching a football match at Anfield Road, I hadn’t really explored the city much. Thanks to my youngest brother Danny, who relocated to Liverpool back in 2012 giving me the chance to meet up with him in his new city and tour some long awaited sights. Tomorrow never knows what will happen, so we followed the sun and after backpacking through Penny Lane and Abbey Road, we headed to the Beatles Story.

I was backpacking in England properly again, I would be hitting up Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Christchurch, London, Windsor, Bournemouth, Poole and a few others all in 2014! It also continues nicely from Friday’s story on backpacking in Camden Town and my recent Abbey Road walk.

“Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song and I’ll try not to sing out of key” – The Beatles.

What is the Beatles Story?
The Beatles Story is a Beatles museum down in the docks area of Liverpool. Located in the Fab Four’s hometown of Liverpool on the famous UNESCO World heritage site at the Albert Dock, the Beatles Story takes visitors on an atmospheric journey through the lives, times, culture and music of The Beatles. It’s a throwback to the 60s.

“Tangerine trees and marmalade skies” – The Beatles

Getting to the Beatles Story
To get to the Beatles Story, we just walked it right down to the docks in Liverpool. There are buses that go along the main seafront and Liverpool James Street and Liverpool Central are the nearest two train stations.

The full address is here:
The Beatles Story Albert Dock, Britannia Vaults, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AD
Tel: +44 (0)151 709 1963 Email: [email protected]

“She loves me. Yes, yes, yes.” – The Beatles

How much does the Beatles Story Cost?
Prices vary of course and this is subject to change. The current prices as of July 2015, are here:
BEATLES STORY TICKET:
(incl. The Beatles Story Exhibition, Discovery Zone, The British Invasion exhibition and Fab 4D Experience)
Adults – £14.95
Concession (Senior Citizens/Students) £11.50
Children £9

“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64?” – The Beatles

Opening Times of the Beatles Story
The opening times vary in seasons and you can get the latest opening times here. We went mid morning on a weekday in January and it wasn’t too busy – no queues. Obviously at certain times it will get packed.

“There are places I remember all my life though some have changed” – The Beatles

Touring the Beatles Story in Liverpool, England
Once inside, your ears are feasted to endless Beatles music.

There is a logical order of a path to take and you go on a journey back to the 60s. I’m a big fan of the Beatles myself and so I know most of their songs but I learnt some interesting new things on the tour and enjoyed it. Here are some of the key parts of the tour for me.

1. The Quarry Men
Yes some of the Beatles started off in a band called The Quarry Men. Learn about what could have been for people like Colin Hanton. (Who is he?)

2. The Yellow Submarine
There is an actual mock Yellow Submarine on the tour, which was of course the name of a Beatles song, album and film.

3. Mock Abbey Road
Of course I crossed the real Abbey Road in London but there is a mock one her. Abbey Road is the famous Pelican crossing (not zebra) where the Beatles walked across for the front cover of their album of the same name and the recording studios of the same name.

4. Mock Cavern Club
By night my brother and I went to the real Cavern Club for a drink and to listen to some live music. It’s famously on Mathew Street in Liverpool. Here in the Beatles Story is a mock version of the Cavern Club, where it all began for the Beatles.

5. Beatles Private Jet
There are all sorts of random rooms and displays as you walk through the Beatles Story. One of these is a mock of the Beatles Private Jet. They were one of first celebrity bands to have a private jet.

6. The Beatles Solo Careers
There is a massive section on the Beatles after they split including the Beatles solo careers and the aftermath.

7. The White Room
John Lennon’s famous white piano from the Imagine video is featured in a White Room display.

8. The Beatles Store
This store is the perfect place to buy all your Beatles gifts – CDs, vinyl, t-shirts, fridge magnets etc. Prices are not cheap and a market in the city might be better but there is some stuff that you can only get here, so it’s worth a browse.

There is a lot more to see of course, but I didn’t want to spoil your entire experience by revealing everything. If you’re into the Beatles you will love it, if you’re not – it is still a cool thing to check out. The only disappointing thing was seeing an ugly St*rbux Cafe at the exit. Yuk!

As well as checking out the Beatles Story, we also went to the Cavern Club and a Beatles Art Exhibition down by the seafront. Liverpool is a really cultured and famous city so it’s a recommended backpacking spot for anyone hitting up England. Even better, I’d recommend getting the ferry from Liverpool to Northern Ireland afterwards.

If you are backpacking in the UK there are a number of good tips on saving money, as a former UK resident, I’d recommend discount voucher companies like VoucherBin UK, for buses there is the reliable and very cheap Megabus and for beers, I still say Wetherspoons is a cool place to socialise as the pints and cheap and they do good ales and average pub grub. Thanks to my brother Danny for letting me stay at his place in Liverpool and for coming to enjoy the Beatles Story with me. We also headed to the famous Cavern Club on a different night, and on a separate visit I made to the city. Here are some videos of the Beatles Story:

And some of my other Beatles moments captured on video from my travels:

Singing in the Beatles Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

Beatles Art Gallery, Liverpool, England:

Crossing Abbey Road in London, England: