Esther Beadle takes a trip to Liverpool to tour the birthplace of The Beatles

I am standing staring at a small red-brick terraced house. It looks quite unremarkable.

To get to it you need to head down a small lane, peppered with potholes and wheelie bins. It smells a bit like chips.

It lies on a small row of only about 20 houses. Two-up, two-down. A gaggle of us are huddled in hushed whispers, pricked only by the sound of camera whirrs and clicks. iPhone flashes getting lost in the hazy afternoon sunshine.

A young woman pops her head out of one of the houses and, rather than be greatly affronted by this intrusion into her Saturday morning, cheerfully waves us further down into the street so we can get a proper look.

It might sound like a scene from some new Channel 4 socially disruptive documentary, but actually this little house in Liverpool, 12 Arnold Grove, was the birthplace of Beatle George Harrison.

It’s an odd thing how the Fab Four took the world by storm. And the Magical Mystery Tour, complete with bus decorated like its film namesake, gives a remarkable glimpse into what made those Scouse Mop Tops the most revered popsters in the world.

The Beatles are as ingrained in Liverpool as Liverpool was in them. Down every street and alley there is some homage to them. As a bit of a fan, it’s nice to see that the city celebrates its sons, rather than grow tired of gawpers like me getting my picture taken with very normal looking street signs that just happen to read Penny Lane.

Should you want to indulge in some of this culture that doesn’t involve Lennon, McCartney and pals, then Tate Liverpool is a good start.

Only a short stroll from the famous Liver Building, it’s free except for the special exhibitions. It’s a wonderful venue, light and airy, and nestled amongst the Albert Dock’s fine selection of tiny cafés and restaurants.

One taxi driver proudly, and rather unexpectedly, tells me its one of the best things to have happened to Liverpool and starts running down the wealth of exhibitions he’s enjoyed there.

Shopping is not bad either.

We were desperate to find something a bit different. News From Nowhere on Bold Street is a gem of a bookshop – shelves stacked high with activism and noisy liberal tomes. And antique shop 69A at 75 Renshaw Street is perfect for a proper delve for some hidden treasures at reasonable prices.

The key to enjoying Liverpool is to just ask. It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, just say the word and a chirpy Scouser, so proud of their home, will let you know exactly where to go. Given any opportunity to shout about their city, they will.

Liverpool’s success as Capital of Culture 2008 hasn’t been forgotten and its echoes reverberate around the city’s booming city centre as loudly as the amp feedback in the still packed-out Cavern Club.

The Cavern Club is a rather hot and sticky way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

If you’re there on a weekday then it’s great, but come the weekend it can end up heaving.

Oxford Mail:

  • Esther on Penny Lane

But to say you’ve been there is always one to tick off the bucket list – even though purists will tell you it’s only half the club it used to be, back when the Merseybeat scene was in full swing.

If you like your Beatles tributes a little more calming and little less raucous, then a stay at the Ibis Styles hotel in Dale Street might be more for you.

Each of its floors boasts bespoke Fab Four themed rooms that are all stylishly decked out and surprisingly quiet for its central location. It’s quirky, unusual and a bit of a talking point.

Liverpool might have made The Beatles, but it’s the people that make Liverpool. No matter what you’re looking for, the city will have it. All you need – is to ask.

THE FACTS

Stay: Hotel Ibis Liverpool Centre Albert Dock, 27 Wapping, Liverpool L1 8LY. Call 0151 603 2800. Prices start at £55.

Hotel Ibis Styles Liverpool Centre, Dale Street, 67 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2HJ. Call 0151 243 1720. Prices start from £57. 

Eat: Mowgli Street Food, 69 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4EZ. Call 0151 708 9356

Play: Cavern Club and the Magical Mystery Tour, see cavernclub.org

Get there: Return train ticket Oxford-Liverpool from £69.80.