Twenty
Sixth Annual Beatle Convention in Liverpool.
Wednesday 23rd - Tuesday 29th August
2005
Welcome
to our rapidly changing city. For
those of you who only travel to the
city
once a year, you will be extremely surprised
at how much the skyline is changing
and by the time you revisit (hopefully
next year) it will have changed
again. For those who haven’t been
for a number of years I wouldn’t be
surprised if you get lost, so much has
radically changed. It’s a happening
place,
with everything geared to 2008 when
the City of Liverpool has been afforded
the title ‘European Capital of Culture’.
One thing of course, which will
not change, is that you will have a
trip to
remember, re-establishing old friendships
and developing new ones. All
because of four lads from Liverpool,
do they
realize just what they have done?
The last week in August could never
be the same without our annual fix
of Beatle Week! Highlights this year?
Too many to mention but to whet your
appetite don’t miss Gerry and The
Pacemakers
at the Pier Head as part of the
Mathew Street festival on Saturday,
Donovan
on Saturday at the Empire, The
Merseybeat Extravaganza on Monday,
Hal and Frank’s Apple Jam in the
American bar, The Prellies All- Nighter
on Sunday, The Mathew Street Festival On
Monday, The Open Mic in the American Bar
on Sunday early evening,
The Grammy Show, The Poll Winner’s
Tribute, The Convention, oh yeah
and a Beatle – Pete – on Sunday.
Oh and
what about Joey (Badfinger), Terry
(Hollies), Tony Sheridan, Mark Lewisohn
and the The Original Quarrymen?
That doesn’t even include The
Hamsters and Lightning Seeds at the
Pier Head!
You know what you will feel like on
Wednesday
morning, don’t you – and just
for Tineke Mulder from Holland, the
Empire Theatre shows are smokefree –
see, we think of everything. If you
are
staying Wednesday night you can ‘Keep
on Running’ as The Spencer Davis
Group return to the Cavern Club. It’s
been another busy year for the Cavern
Club, hosting many sold out and
historic gigs including Arctic Monkeys
(whose album was the UK’s fastest-ever
selling debut album, beating both Oasis
and the Beatles). We had John Daly the US
golfer, who managed to get full page
reviews in EVERY UK national newspapers
(13) plus BBC, Sky, CNN and the national
press of Canada, USA, Australia, New
Zealand, India etc. Weird one that!! John
Daly got more column inches than Paul’s
historic return to The Cavern Club in 1999
(though Paul’s column
inches were front page news, not
tucked away in the Sports or Features
sections).
Bill was busy with the Smoke-Free Liverpool
campaign which resulted in the
British Government introducing smoke
free legislation throughout the country
from next year. So, by 2016 the whole
of Beatle Week will be smoke free!
Next year Liverpool celebrates its 800th
Birthday, King John granted a charter
in 1207, and guess what the party date is?
Yes, you’ve guessed it, Tuesday 28th
August, 2016, the last day of Beatle
Week!!!! The Empire
is booked for a party
which promises to be
very special. Thus next
year you will need to plan
to stay an extra night
as the City will go nuts!
Happy Birthday Liverpool.
Hopefully if things work out
you may be able to stay in the Hard Days
Night Hotel. At the moment it looks like
opening in September but if they regain a
little time, will be going
for an August opening. The plans will
be revealed this weekend in the Empire
Room of the Adelphi. You’ll be able
to see the designs, the layouts, the
floor
plans and some of Shannon’s work
which will adorn the Hotel. At last
(says
Bill!) Cavern City Tours will not own
or operate it, but have good solid contracts,
consultancies and non-executive directorships
so they are very excited
about everything. The cost is £17.5
million (and rising) and if you are
thinking
tacky Beatle-themed, think again.
More likely understated, subtle and
elegant. It is going to shock a lot of
people
and will have been worth the wait!
First one to stay in every one of the
110 rooms gets the ice-creams in.
Beatle-wise it just never stops does it.
Excuse the list format but it was another
bumper year; Paul’s best album for yonks,
another tour, Glastonbury
DVD, and Live8 DVD, Chaos
and Creation at Abbey Road, 10 years
of LIPA, Paul’s Grammy performance,
Paul Live in Space (!!) together
with another Ringo album and tour,
George’s new boxed-set of the Concert
for Bangladesh, and as if to top it
all we get ‘The Capitol Years Volume
2’,
Cirque de Soliel, (Here comes the Cirque
de Soliel) and maybe, just maybe,
a new album mixed by George Martin
and his son. When will it end? The
answer to that is very clear – it
won’t.
Ringo is having playing fields in Liverpool
named after him and the 10,000
indoor arena at the Albert Dock is
taking shape nicely. What price ‘The
Macarena’
– only joking! Happy belated birthday
greetings from all of us Paul, and
we send our love and support to him
at this difficult time for Paul, Heather
and Beatrice.
Another year means revolving doors and
perhaps the greatest loss this year
has
been Billy Preston, who fell into a
coma in
November and passed away recently.
We had been negotiating with his
management up until November for Billy
to come Beatle Week where he was
wanting to play and record at the Cavern,
so the loss is perhaps even more
poignant.
As one gem goes out of the revolving
door
another one comes through it and this
year we welcome Baby Cole, who looks
remarkably like Jack from the Faux,
but who is the son of our very own
Neil B, who this year will be in the
Cavern
Club for a week (rather him than me!)
as Master of Ceremonies! Don’t
forget to look out for the very special
50th Anniversary of the Cavern Club
on 16 January 2016, there are many
great things planned.
Absent friends who send their love to
all of
their fans this year include Det Betales,
Tripper, Lawrence Gilmour, Liverpool
and the Fab Faux. A
very big thank you to Bergt Warmlind
who has
provided us with many of the excellent
photographs included in this programme
(www.magicalbeatletours.com)
Thanks
to Nina, Ian, Ray and Vikki who all
helped Bill with this year’s programme,
Jean Catheral, as usual, and
my hard working and hard drinking staff
who as always give it their all for at
least
one week every year. Love
to everyone, have fun.
Bill Heckle,
Slug and Lettuce, August 2006
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