P.S: I love you, Beatles

THE young make their own fun whatever time and place they're in, the natural dynamism of youth serving to heighten its surroundings. Excited by their own passing blends of music and fashion, teenagers in every generation since 1955 have believed that theirs was a uniquely special time. Yet the Sixties were special to an age-range far broader than any period before or since. The spirit of that era suffused the world with a sense of rejuvenating freedom comparable to the joy of being let out of school early, before the stipulated time.

Four lads from Liverpool took the world by storm and changed the face of music for generations to come. The band that brought its home city to centre stage now draws thousands of visitors every year in search of the unique atmosphere that inspired them and many other musicians. So obviously dazzling was The Beatles' achievement that few have questioned it. Agreement on them is all but universal; they were far and away the best-ever pop group and their music enriched the lives of millions. Courtesy scientific technology, The Beatles can still be heard singing their buoyant, poignant, hopeful, love-advocating songs.

Relive the most sensational story the pop world has ever known at the Beatles Story Museum... The Beatles Story is based in a converted warehouse building in Liverpool's famous Albert Dock and is a fascinating walk-through exhibition dedicated to the Fab Four. It charts their rise to fame, from the early days in Hamburg and the Cavern Club through to Beatlemania, their number one hits and the eventual split. It is a lasting tribute to the world's greatest pop group. You can live and breathe the whole 60's experience and actually see how it all happened. As you leave the exhibition, the area opposite the Albert Dock Warehouses is the King's Dock Arena - the location of Paul McCartney's memorable outdoor concert in June 1990.

A Ticket to Ride... The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour with guide Eddie is an unmissable journey to the places where John, Paul, George and Ringo lived and grew up. Many of the Liverpool landmarks referred to in the old Beatles' songs are still standing and can be visited today. This two hour bus tour which finishes inside The Cavern Club introduces you to the birthplace of the Beatles and includes homes, schools, venues, Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and many of the landmarks associated with the Beatles. You can listen to the music as you travel down Penny Lane and see the places that inspired their song writing.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney met in July 1957 at an evening fete in St. Peter's Church, Woolton, in Liverpool, where the 16- year-old Lennon's skiffle group, The Quarry Men, was performing. McCartney, nearly two years his future partner's junior, impressed him with his knowledge of chords, obscure rock-and-roll lyrics, and the correct way of tuning a guitar. Quickly enrolled into The Quarry Men, McCartney showed Lennon his early efforts at songwriting, startling him into trying his own hand at composition. Their songbook grew steadily over the next five years... And the rest is history. But during 1957 itself, John attempted to sign the seamen's unemployment register with a friend of his. The office rang John's Aunt Mimi, who was horrified that he was thinking of following in his father's footsteps. She ordered John to return home immediately.

Anyone unlucky enough not to have been aged between 14 and 30 during 1966-7 will never know the excitement of those years in popular culture. A sunny optimism permeated everything and possibilities seemed limitless. With its vision of 'blue suburban skies' and boundlessly confident vigour, Penny Lane distills the spirit of that time more perfectly than any other creative product of that time. Couched in the primary colours of a picture book, yet observed with the slyness of a gang of kids straggling home from school, Penny Lane is both naive and knowing - but above all thrilled to be alive. This minor suburban road was made internationally famous in 1967, the lyrics of the song actually refer to the area at the top of Penny Lane called Smithdown Place. The shelter in the middle of the roundabout is now occupied by a cafe, but was once a local meeting place for people travelling in or out of town by bus. From this position you can see the 'bank' and the 'barbershop' as mentioned in the song Penny Lane.

Strawberry Fields Forever was one of Lennon's hallucinogenic ventures into the mental interior. This time, the character finding it hard to express herself was an orphan at Strawberryfield, a girl's reform school in Beaconsfield Road near Lennon's childhood home in Woolton. This song was tinged with the loneliness of the solitary rebel against all things institutional; an eerie longing for a wild childhood of hide-and- seek and tree climbing: the visionary strawberryfields of Lennon's imagination. As a boy he had roamed in the grounds of the Salvation Army Children's Home, which was originally a Victorian mansion, now replaced by a modern building, but the impressive gates still remain. As a child, the highlight of John's year was attending the annual garden fete held here. Certainly his broken family background meant that he had much in common with the orphan children who lived there. In January 1984, Yoko brought John's son Sean, to Liverpool, and this was one of the first places they visited. (All children belonging to this home get a gift from John & Yoko on their birthdays.) During her visit, Yoko presented a hundred thousand pounds in memory of John, hoping that it would help Strawberry Fields forever.

The Cavern Club, located in the heart of the Cavern Quarter, became famous in the 1960's as the home of Merseybeat and where the Beatles were discovered. Between 1957 and 1973 most of the all-time greats of Rock, Pop, Soul and Jazz descended the stairs of the Cavern Club to play on the most famous stage in the world. Most people would know of the Club's proud association with The Beatles and Mersey Beat, but few realise that artists such as Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, The Who, Howlin'Wolf, Elton John, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix all played at the Cavern between 1957 and 1973. If you look around the walls of The Pub you will see brass plaques with dates on them.

The Cavern Quarter, which takes its name from the famous Cavern Club, is one of the city's liveliest nightlife areas. The area is steeped in popular music history - The Cavern Wall of Fame features the name of all the artists who have performed at the Cavern Club, between 1957 and 1973... 1801 to be precise. In front of the Wall, is a statue of John Lennon. Without question, this cellar club became the most famous rock venue in the world. The first appearance of The Beatles here was on February 9, 1961; their last appearance was on August 3, 1963. During this period The Beatles performed here a staggering 275 times. Further up Mathew Street is The Beatles Shop, open Eight Days a Week... This contains the widest range of Beatle souvenirs anywhere in the world. To a backdrop of Beatles music, played on an original 1962 jukebox, fans can spend hours browsing through thousands of original items, including autographs, which are on display. Recently refurbished, the floor of the shop was covered with a Beatles' carpet.

20 Forthlin Road, the 1950s-terraced council house is the former home of Paul McCartney, where Lennon and McCartney met, created and rehearsed over 100 songs. This was their last home as a complete family, as Paul's mother died of cancer when he was only 14 years old. During his later years, Paul had an impressive dream in which his dead mother Mary appeared to him and told him not to get so worked up about things - to let them be, and Paul did Let it be. He immersed himself in his music and within a year had formed his partnership with John. The McCartney home became a regular venue for practice sessions and ultimately song writing. Acquired by the National Trust, the house was restored to its original style and is now open to the public. It is the first time the Trust has acquired a building whose significance lies in its association with modern popular culture.

The Beatles made some of the world's best music during their era. This, though, is merely the judgement of our time - the way it appears to those who live in their immediate reverberation. It is harder to guess how they'll come to be seen in the 21st century (although that they will be seen is certain). As a matter of fact, the 1960s were the key years of the past century; a hectic transition from one way of life to another.

SUMITRA SENAPATY

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