A Beatle Tour To Wirral


HULME HALL, Bolton Road, Port Sunlight Village. The historic venue for the real 'Birth Of The Beatles'. Here on Saturday 18 August 1962 Ringo Starr made his very first appearance as The Beatles' drummer.

The Beatles played at HULME HALL four times in 1962: Saturday 7 July, Saturday 18 August (Ringo's debut), Saturday 6 October and Saturday 27 October. Attendance capacity was 450, but 500 paying costumers was squeezed in on Beatle nights.

VICTORIA HALL, Village Road, Bebington, Wirral. The Beatles made just one appearance here on Saturday 4 August 1962. An unusual venue. So few groups had played here that, initially, not even Brian Epstein knew how to find the hall.


18 Trinity Road, Hoylake - Cynthia's home

18 Trinity Road, Hoylake. This was the Powell family's modest home where CYNTHIA POWELL was living when she and John Lennon met at the Liverpool College of Art and embarked on a passionate teenage love affair. Here Cynthia also eagerly awaited the arrival of John's love-letters from Hamburg, descibed by him as "The sexiest this side of Henry Miller. Forty pages long some of them!"

THISTLE CAFÉ - MACDONA HALL, Banks Road/Salisbury Avenue, West Kirby.
This was the first real booking The Beatles' new manager Brian Epstein arranged for them. The date was Thursday 1 February 1962 and Brian, in true showman style, had advertised it as the 'Grand Opening of The Beatle Club'. In fact, this was the only time they played here and nothing more was heard of The Beatle Club! The gig took place in the hall used as a dance studio above the restaurant, which in those days, was occupied by the Thistle Café.


'Rembrandt'

'REMBRANDT'. Baskerville Road, Heswell. This is the house which Paul McCartney bought for his father Jim for £8,750 when he returned from America after The Beatles' triumphant tour of America in 1964. Compared with their small terraced house in Forthlin Road, this five bedroomed detached house was truly palatial. Jim McCartney later moved to a bungalow nearby and died in March 1976. 'Rembrandt' was bought from his father by Paul and is still owned by him. Now and then Paul makes a secret visit here.

HESWELL JAZZ CLUB. Barnston Women's Institute. Barnston Road, Heswell.
The Beatles was booked by the Heswell Jazz Club to play three dates in this village hall in 1962. On the first, Saturday 24 March, they wore their new stage suits for the first time. The grey suits were specially made by master tailor Beno Dorn in Birkenhead. The Beatles played here again on Saturday 30 June and Tuesday 25 September 1962.

Yes, here I'm standing on the Beatle Stage on Paul's place! Imagine all the screeming girls down there in 1962!

Thanks to all wonderful girls from Barnston Women's Institute, that welcomed us in such friendly way during our visit.

REFERENCES:
Cavern City Tours: 'Beatle Week Programmes' (1998-2004)
Cavern City Tours: 'Beatle's Liverpool Tour Guide & Pocket Map'
Ray Coleman: 'Lennon - The Definitive Biography' (Pan Books, 1995)
Bill Harry: 'The Beatles Encyclopedia' (Virgin Publishing, 2000)
Ron Jones: 'The Beatles' Liverpool' (1991, 2000)
Mark Lewisohn: 'The Complete Beatles Chronicle' (Pyramid Books, 1992)
Barry Miles: 'Paul McCartney - Many Years From Now' (London, 1997)
Barry Miles: 'A Diary' (Omnibus Press, 1998)
Ray O'Brian: 'There Are Places I'll Remember' (2001)
Ray O'Brian: 'There Are Places I'll Remember, Vol. 2' (2003)
Richard Porter: 'Guide To The Beatles London' (Abbey Road Café, 2000)
Piet Schreuders, Mark Lewisohn, Adam Smith: 'The Beatles London' (Hamlyn, 1994)
Brian Southall, Peter Vince, Allan Rouse: 'Abbey Road' (Omnibus Press, 1997)