| Beatles Magical Mystery Tour-- London |
| Written by Travelin' Tess | |
|
Page 1 of 2 MY MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR  I was a little nervous as I embarked upon My Magical Mystery Tour. I had gone on other “LondonWalks” tours, but this was different. I had been raised on the Beatles – I can’t remember a time when the Beatles weren’t a part of my life. Who would my fellow walkers be? Would they really be fans? Or just people out for a stroll? Of course, there was nothing to worry about. They were all like me because The Beatles were a part of their lives too. If they had been too young in the sixties, it was a discovery. If they were contemporaries of John, Paul, George and Ringo, it was a homecoming. Our group of twenty met the guide at the Tottenham Court Tube Station. He collected our money (the cost is usually 5 pounds) and we were off on our adventure. Our guide, Richard P, was a fountain of information and made us feel like we were reliving the “Swingin’ Sixties”. He carried a boom box and played “Beatles music” at various stops. But not just any “Beatles songs”! We were treated to long forgotten studio sessions, lost recordings, etc. I can only say that Richard P’s nickname, “The Pied Piper of Beatlemania”, is apt.  We followed him down the street toward Apple headquarters to see where the famous “rooftop session” had taken place. Apple headquarters is near Saville Row, an area where only the best of British tailor shops are. Their clientele is in sharp contrast to those “scruffy Liverpool lads”. The Apple building looked like any other small business address in London. Richard turned on his boom box and “Let It Be” started playing. We all looked up to the roof where the Beatles played their last concert. I stood there on a quiet Sunday morning imagining the whole scene--the Beatles playing in public for the last time, the crowds starting to gather, and the police cordoning off the area. I remembered that wonderful picture of a British policeman standing next to Ringo as they played. After that, I could have hopped, skipped and danced my way down the street, but my Yankee reticence kept me from it. (There’s always next time). |