I think it may be a generational thing – most of it is for the tourists these days and it’s completely tacky and overblown but if you go back a bit there is still a lot of local pride in the 60s music scene from those who were there at the time.
My family are from Liverpool. Mum worked in the centre of town and used to go to the Cavern in her lunch hour. Dad was a CID officer working the clubland beat. Both were massive Beatles fans who were involved in “the scene” and I was brought up with their music – I think my Dad cried when John Lennon was shot!
I have a memory of walking down Church St with my Dad when I was about 16 and him bumping into someone he knew and stopping for an extended chat – this happened quite often and it was generally either a fellow ex-copper or someone he’d banged up for armed robbery or suchlike in the sixties. This one turned out to be neither – it was Alan Williams, the Beatles’ first manager who at that point was involved in negotiations to auction a pair of John’s leather trousers!
Like any other big city Liverpool has it’s share of problems but it’s been transformed in recent years. I think it’s a great city and we always enjoy our visits to family.
