Cavern Mecca

[Spike]

http://www.cavernmecca.co.uk/

Anyone remember the Cavern Mecca above Flannagans?

Some good pics here.

I was a regular here, loved the place.

The 30 year anniversary is this November. 30 years? where did it go.

[Ged]

Liz and Jim Hughes. I was never out of their shop, The Magical Mystery Store down in the basement of 24 North John Street - the very same property that was the Cottles city cafe where 'Qualtrough' made the call asking for William Herbert Wallace in 1931.

I got loads of rare Beatles records and books out of there c1977, there wasn't any Beatles merchandise they didn't do at a time when the city council wouldn't put up a statue that John Chambers was petitioning for - there was nothing to show the tourists that kept asking - the Cavern had been demolished just a few years earlier in 1973.

I'm looking forward to the Mecca reunion. My mate Paul has a youtube video of him camcording in there and John Lennon's uncle is in there too.

[Spike]

Ive seen that vid Ged.

Its on that site on bottom of page.

[Gerard Fleming]

http://www.cavernmecca.co.uk/

Anyone remember the Cavern Mecca above Flannagans?

Some good pics here.

I was a regular here, loved the place.

The 30 year anniversary is this November. 30 years? where did it go.

I've been asked along as the official photographer...
should be a great day...

I hope to see a few familiar faces there....


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[Spike]

You will see me

[Gerard Fleming]

You will see me

Good lad.. make sure you comb your hair and say cheese...

[Ged]

Sounds good to me

[Gerard Fleming]

Sounds good to me

See you there..!..

[Ged]

Hey Spike. Well you know it's Julie Sudbury organising it. That's Paul Sudbury's relation out of our band and he and his family already have tickets. Julie and her partner Tony O'Keeffe from the Holy Block in Gerard Crescent who came to see the latest Gardens of Stone screening mentioned then she had something in the planning so this was it. What a small world.

[Spike]

Cool. Im glad Paul is coming along. Should be a good night.

Ive known Julie since the first days of Cavern Mecca. Cracking Girl.

[Ged]

Before they opened the Cavern Mecca, Liz and Jim Hughes opened the Magical Mystery Store in the basement of 24 North John Street (the very premises in fact that were Cottles city cafe in the Wallace murder case) This was at a time when there was nothing in town for Beatles fans and tourists. There was the Dooley sculpture in Mathew Street but John Chambers was banging his head against a brick wall trying to get funding for a Beatles statue as it was only a few years previously in 1973 when the council demolished the Cavern.

It was Erics that was all the go now and it was as though the Beatles era was well and truly over so the Magical Mystery Store, full of Beatles memorabilia like posters, picture sleeves, rare acetates, badges etc was a godsend. EMI had just re-released all the singles in those green picture sleeves and there seemed to be a resurgence.

My mates and I were there at the beginning and as I was not long into what turned into a 1100 page (5000+ artcle) Scrapbook, I have been looking through it to see what newscuttings and posters I can send Jim and there were half a dozen he'd love so i've just emailed him.




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The No1 personalised newsletter asking for funds which we duly obliged.



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While looking through though, I found some other stuff i'd put away and not seen for a while.


An Original No.1 Beatles monthly. I started collecting the re-issues religiously from Jim - eventually getting every one.



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I took this on Saturday morning 8th October 1977 while waiting for the doors to open for the very first Liverpool Beatles convention at Mr Pickwicks, Fraser Street, put on by Allan Williams and Bob Wooler. It was held over John Lennon's 37th Birthday weekend and midnight saw a conga which went out of the club, along the street and into Gullivers nightclub, passing through the mens bogs which stunk to high heaven and then the ladies 'toilets' which were adorned with mirrors with lights around them, then back into Pickwicks where groups played until the early hours including an impromptu stripping race where Allan Williams offered a tenner to the first person in the knack which unfortunately for us turned out to be some bloke who proceded to do a forward roll clanging his bollocks in the air then whooping it up waving his tartan bills above his head. Whattanight. Don't forget, I was still a schoolie - and my mates. We were made up getting served in a club.



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The programme for the event which was £4 for both days/nights.




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My ticket/prog for the following years event on 15th/16th July 78 - also at Pickwicks.



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Then the first ever organised Beatles charra tour, called the Magical History Tour which took in both here and the Wirral. We had a ball on that too.



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The next one we went to was in Romeo & Juliets in the precinct. This also included all the films being shown on the ABC in Lime Street for an extra charge. This was in December 1978 - so two conventions in the one year close together -we were in heaven.



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Then it was back to the precinct, but this time, with a bit of a difference. My mate Chris and I slep out with thousands of others to get a ticket to see Macca at the Royal Court. He was due there on Saturday 24th November 1979, straight from his Glasgow gig. Back to the Egg had just been released and he was enjoying chart success with the likeso f Goodnight Tonight. When morning broke and news that the box office was open, there was a stampede to the front, running while still in a sleeping bag is not recommended but we got our tickets and the circle was right there, you could almost touch him - wow - seeing Macca for all of £5.50. They did a great Mull of Kintyre too. Just after this concert he was arrested in Tokyo when found with drugs on the next leg of their tour and spent a few days inside - the only time he said he's ever left Linda's side since they were wed a decade earlier.



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The programme for the gig. I wrote the set list in it.



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Then the rumours. Lennon was in the recording studio. It was true - Just like starting over was released with Double Fantasy and it was mooted he was coming to Britain for a tour. Could it get any better?

Then this............




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Then there was the St. Georges Hall vigil with speakers, groups, Lennon music - Give peace a chance singalong etc and the inevitable posters, booklets which we bought and memorial concerts which we attended at the Grafton, the Pyramid and the Stadium.



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When the Cavern Walks complex was about to open, they ran a 100 question Beatles Quiz which I and others came joint 3rd in out of hundreds of entries. I don't remember getting the share of the £25 voucher but it was back in the days when I was a Beatles anorak, even knowing their wifes and kids birthdays and star signs - what a wally. Mind you, the Beatles helped me to a grade 1 English oral as my chosen topic at the end of 5th year school. Anyway, I heard Mark Lewisohn won it and anyone who knows about the Beatles knows that Mark Lewisohn knows what they ate for their breakfasts throughout the 1960s



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My Macca 1990 Kings Dock ticket when his price had gone up a bit since last time. I've seen him at the M.E.N. and back at the dock since.



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[Spike]

Great stuff Ged.

Jim and Liz have the respect of thousands of people around the world for what they did. They are legends.

[wsteve55]

Excellent stuff,Ged, some great bits, and pieces, there! I remember meeting Liz, and Jim,and admiring their commitment,dedication,and enthusiasm, in the face of much despondancy re' the Beatles,at the time!

[BlueJeans]

Fab pictures Ged.

[robbo176]

excellent collection Ged