Beatles history in Liverpool

A visit to Forthlin Road, the McCartney’s family home from 1955 to 1964, highlights the stories from Paul’s teenage years and illustrates how his gentler character complemented John’s humour and spikiness to form the ultimate songwriting partnership. Guided tours only

This popular museum tells the story of the Fab Four, the lads from Liverpool who went on to dominate the charts.

It’s presented via a trail through a series of galleries, recreating key landmarks in their story, such as the Hamburg club residency and the Abbey Road recording sessions. Of particular interest is a gallery devoted to The Beatles’ 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India, where they collaborated with sitar player Ravi Shankar to popularise the use of Indian instruments in 1960s pop music.

Overall, it’s a good, all-round introduction to the world’s most famous band and suitable for all ages.

Heart of the Mathew Street Cavern Quarter, home to Beatles-themed bars, shops and the Hard Days Night Hotel, this cellar-like music venue is where The Beatles played their first gig at a lunchtime session in 1961. It hosts live music to this day.

This museum in the Cavern Quarter, run by the local Best family, focuses on the early years, notably The Quarrymen, the late Fifties skiffle band featuring a young Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. Pete Best, the owner’s brother, was the band’s first drummer before Ringo.

The leafy South Liverpool suburb of Woolton is home to the childhood houses of Lennon and McCartney, both now owned by the National Trust. Lennon’s home, preserved in its 1950s heyday, include his teenage bedroom, where he first wrote Please, Please Me. The guided tours also include a visit to 20 Forthlin Road, Paul McCartney’s childhood home.

The former Salvation Army children’s home, made famous by the 1967 song Strawberry Fields Forever, is now an exhibition about Lennon’s early life. The site first opened in 1936 and the young John would play in the gardens while living nearby with his aunt Mimi.