Liverpool luck

The home of the Beatles was a wicked day out. A mega music festival was in full swing when we arrived so the town was abuzz with bands and throngs of people following the performances around the city.

I had been eager to check out the relatively new shopping centre, Liverpool One, and it's rooftop terrace of restaurants and temporary beach and theme park did not disappoint. Unfortunately a breeze was blowing strong so we couldn't booze on the sand, or get out on the Mersey on a boat tour, but we headed for the Albert Docks for a good look around. While it was much too brisk to hang around a good band playing in the middle of the water, we did manage to brave an ice-cream!

There were heaps of great bars that lined the docks and we hit the jackpot when we stumbled on one with an amazing Beatles cover band - the Cheatles- playing four short shows that day. We stopped in for a couple of drinks and joined the loyal Beatles crowd that were loving them, and came back for round two a couple of hours later!

After a full blown tour around the shops, great afternoon tea in a desolate sun filled deli and Jamie's Italian for supper, our short but sweet magical mystery tour of Liverpool had come to an end.

Whenever we visit a place I try my best to experience everything it has to offer, whether it’s trekking across Naples to find the best pizza joint in all of Italy, standing in line for three hours just to go up the Eiffel Tour or tearing my own eyes out after going to see a live sex show in Amsterdam.

You can imagine how pleased I was then, when on a day-trip to Liverpool we stumbled upon a Beatles-cover band. I mean, what could possibly be more appropriate in the spiritual home of The Fab Four?

Now, I’ve never really been a fan of The Beatles – I’m really more of a Rolling Stones man, myself – but I can honestly say, hand over heart, that seeing “The Cheatles” perform live in a pub at Liverpool’s Albert Dock was at least equal to all of the aforementioned experiences and far less creepy than the sex show in Amsterdam.

Call me sentimental or call me just another tourist (please don’t!) but there was something really quite special about seeing four grown men in mop-top wigs and 1960s-garb perform a wicked rendition of I Want To Hold Your Hand.

When we weren’t rockin’ out to The Cheatles we explored the city, and I must say Liverpool seems much more cosmopolitan than its slightly grungy neighbour, Manchester. First impressions aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be but the city seemed rather affluent.

Liverpool was a welcome relief from Blackpool and a brilliant day trip. Although we weren’t there long, the memory of seeing a Beatles cover band – twice – at the Liverpool docklands will last a long, long time.

Liverpool pics are here