Granny Takes A Trip

I went to Kings Road yesterday, and was really happy to pose in front of what was one of London's most special shops of the sixties: GRANNY TAKES A TRIP!!!
Granny Takes a Trip was a boutique opened in February 1966 at 488 Kings Road. The shop, remained open until the mid-70s and has been called the "first psychedelic" boutique in Groovy London of the 1960s.
Obviously nowadays, the painting is not as colourful and special as it used to be, but still, it was quite fabulous to be able to see the shop 40 odd years later!!! Ha ha

Here we can see George Harrison wearing a psychedelic Jacket from Granny Takes a Trip!

Stuart Sutcliffe's Grave

Huyton Parish Church, 

Bluebell Lane, 

L36 7SA 

Liverpool

Hello guys,

I've just came back from Liverpool, and thought about writing this post about my recent visit to Stu's grave.

For years I've been trying to find his grave to no avail, simply because all the information on the internet leading to his grave was either missing or misleading. 

I really don't understand why people would be so selfish, and keep the their knowledge of Stu's final resting place whereabouts to themselves. 

Stu was a great guy, admired by many, and I'm sure lots of  people would love to go and see his grave (which afterall is in a public place) to pay their respects.

As I eventually found the grave (and being the nice girl that I am),  I'll tell you exactly where to go to find it.

The cemetery is called Huyton Parish Church, and is located in Bluebell Lane. (BE AWARE THERE'S A LITTLE GRAVEYARD ON THE GROUNDS OF ST MICHAEL's CHURCH WHICH BEARS THE SAME NAME, HOWEVER STU WAS BURIED IN THE CEMETERY WHICH FACES THE CHURCH AND IS IN BLUEBELL LANE) It's quite a hidden little cemetery but if you have an i-phone or a GPS and type in the postcode L36 7SA, you'll find it straight away.  

The grave is right at the back of the cemetery on the left side. 

You can also watch me finding the grave (skip the video to 5:24 mins) here:

My Strawberry Fields Jacket (Wonder Workshop)

I know this post doesn't really relate to any beatles place, but I just had to post about my newest aquisition: My lovely vintage Strawberry Fields Jacket!!!

I had been in love with this jacket since I first saw a picture of Paul McCartney wearing it.

The Jacket itself was a tribute to the beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever".

And after some research I found out it was designed by Molly White and John Dove in 1968, under the label of "Wonder Workshop" in London, and in 1972 it was sold at a very cool shop called "Granny Takes a Trip", in Kings Road, London. 

Paul McCartney saw the jacket and loved it so much that he contacted the designers for some more jackets, so he and his bandmates could wear them on their very first Wings Tour in North America.

Following the Wings tour, the jackets became a huge success, and the designers had numerous phone calls from all over America asking for more jackets to be made, but because it was a small company there were only so many jackets that could be produced. 

It took me months to find a seller as the jackets are now very rare. I searched high and low on the internet, in retro shops, ebay, etc...To no avail. Then I had the idea to contact Molly White herself, who finally put me in touch with someone who had one jacket left in the head office of her retro shop in London.

So I poped up to the shop to have a look at the jacket (which funnilly enough is older than me) and to my surprise it was in a very good condition, few stains and water marks (that has now been removed with some dry cleaning) but other than that, perfectly good condition!!!
In fact it was prettier than I had imagined, and I just had to have it!!

So here's a few more piccies of my Strawberry Fields Jacket.

 

Here's a little video, but again, it's all in Portuguese! Sorry guys! =-)

Knole Park: Used as location for Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields videos

Knole Park

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP

On the 30th of January 1967, The Beatles came down to Knole Park to shoot parts of their Strawberry Fields video.

In the video, there's a scene of Paul jumping up into a dead oak tree which is covered by bits of broken piano and weird red lights (that tree unfortunately no loger exists, apparently it was struck by lightning during the The Great Storm of 1987)

Days later the Beatles returned to the park to shoot some scenes for Penny Lane.

You can see them riding the horses through the arch.

You can also see them seating down at a table by the pond for some english tea.

It's amazing how most of the park remains exactly the same after 40 odd years. 

And here's a little video of my adventure in Knole Park in 2009. 

It's all in portuguese, so apologies to those who won't understand a word. 

 I think is worth a watch, though!

Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields

I'd been to Strawberry fields, but had never seen it all covered in snow.

It made a change to all of my other pictures =-)

And here's the very famous Penny lane

What used to be the bus shelter

The barber

Gravesites: Brian Epstein and Julia Lennon

It took me nearly a whole day to find Brian's grave. I could not find the accurate info on the cemetery where he was buried.

So folks, for your future reference, Brian's grave can be found in the enclosed Jewish part of Everton Cemetery.

Brian Epstein

Everton Cemetery, Long Lane, Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 9AQ 
The grave is easy to spot at section A grave H12.

Julia Lennon (née Stanley)

 John's Mother

Julia's grave was easier to find. It is located in the lovely Allerton Cemetery.

 Allerton Cemetery, Woolton RoadLiverpool Merseyside L19 5NF

You can find the grave in the "CE (Church of England) 38-805 plot" 

The headstone reads: Mummy, John, Julia, Victoria and Jackie

Magical Mystery Tour Film Locations

Okay,

Here are some Magical Mystery Tour places that I've visited in Cornwall (England) in September 2008.

Plymouth Hue (Plymouth, South England)
This picture was taken in September 1967, when the Beatles were filming MMT (the clothes they are wearing are the same ones the were on the movie)
There's a footage you can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obbhYpG39O4&feature=related

And here's me, some 40 odd years later

The Atlantic Hotel, Dane Road, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1EN

Telephone: 01637 872244 Fax: 01637 874108.

Not far from Plymouth, is the lovely Atlantic Hotel in Newquay, where the Beatles stayed for 3 nights whilst filming Magical Mystery Tour. 

At the back of the hotel (facing the sea) you will find  

The Huers Hut 

On the Hut's floor, I found this very interesting plaque (note the word Semolina and Hubba Hubba). Could this have influenced John for the lyrics of I'm the Walrus? Which was released months later?

Just yards away from the hut, you will see the steps where the beatles stood for some promo pics

Also in Newquay, theres is commemorative site to the Magical Mystery Tour

The inscription reads : "To commemorate THE BEATLES Visit to NEWQUAY from The 12th to 15th September 1967. Location scenes were filmed in and around this resort for the group's 'MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR'

Watergate Bay, Cornwall 

This is where Mr Bloodvessel danced with Aunt Jessie