The Beatleplaces Podcast

We’ve seen the emails, read the letters and court summons' and ignored them all. We’re back to present another exciting, quirky, but fun episode of The Beatlesplaces Podcast with Mark & Col and damn the expense. All aboard if you’re coming. Suitably pepped up by Earl Grey tea and M&S custard creams, we are continuing with the “Beatles With An A” series, where we’ve managed to reach almost the middle of the alphabet without breaking a sweat, but I’ll have a bath anyway after this, now you mention it. Letter “L” takes the stage this time and Mark & Col invite you to spend an hour in their company, chatting about all things Beatle, starting with an “L”. It also gives us an excuse to show off our little town of Liverpool and remind you and ourselves just how great it is. Jammed into the show we have a few nifty, Beatle quizzes, one about Paul and one about Beatles memorabilia. Mark oils his tonsils to recite even more John Lennon extracts from “In His Own Write” which he does with usual aplomb. Col is all out of aplomb, so he regales Beatle tales of when George bought 25 steak and kidney pies, what machine did John sing along to in his student days, the places where all the Beatles played as kids in Liverpool, John’s tax return (and his sock collection), how much a Beatle earned in 1961, plus tells you which famous person went to see the Beatles at Litherland Town Hall in December 1961. Mark offers some interesting insights in to the oddest member of the Apple organisation- Magic Alex, reviews “1,2,3,4” by Craig Brown and gives the low-down on Derek Taylor’s expenses in Apple’s heyday. Mark is also ably equipped to trip Col up yet again with another “Krappy Karaoke” session, and tells you about the magical Beatles song inspired by the B842 plus the origin of Lady Madonna. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Col tells you of some great “Liverpool Firsts” and mentions other famous Liverpool people besides John, Paul, George, Ringo, Col or Mark. That aside, if however, you’d rather spend an hour not enjoying a whole bunch of Beatles bits and pieces and having a laugh or two along the way to brighten your day, then good luck with painting your ceiling, translating your flatpack furniture instructions or washing the cat. Gazunka! (You'll be Googling that one, no doubt)

The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col – Episode #26- It’s a John Lennon Special!

“How-do”, as we say, up North. Messrs Mark & Col wish you all well and welcome to another Beatleplaces Podcast. It’s the least we can do- a quantity we never seem to specialise in, because we’re more than pleased to present another excessively fun-packed edition of The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col and this time around (cue fanfare or three kazoos) its’ “L” in our “Beatles With An A” series, allowing us to self-indulge in a John Lennon Special podcast! That’s right, loads of John Lennon stuff tonight, so much so in fact, I wondered if this intro should be in pdf format. Understandably, Liverpool and the other three fellas in the band (who’s names escape me just now) get a mention here and there, but essentially, it’s Mr. Winston O’Boogie’s show all the way. Topics on the podcast include, John’s interest in the number 9, John’s brothers and sisters, when John found Elvis, more on John’s family tree, the schoolkid who inspired John to write “I Am The Walrus” as well as a look at the song itself, the songs John sang but never recorded and The Wizard of Oz connection. Of course, we’re contractually obliged to chuck in a few John Lennon quizzes to perplex brains 40 watts and over, including a silly one about teachers nicknames. We also get to meet Polythene Patricia, talk about Dungeon Lane, “The Prisoner” TV show and it’s Beatles associations, as well as a newly-found Beatleplace in Woolton, where you can buy a souvenir pastie (veggie available). Marvellous Mark enlightens us with a few recitals from John’s first book, “In His Own Write” and a few other places, plus Col reveals what you never knew about John’s ex-gf, Barbara Baker, and is back to his tangential toppermost when he tells you how to reach Ringo in 1961, the one Scouse word you’ll only ever need, some terrible Beatleplaces merchandise ideas, even naming the maternity nurses who brought John into the world in 1940, and most importantly of all, an update on Paul’s rotary drier. As per usual, the whole thing’s glued together with love of all things Beatles and Liverpool, ‘cos that’s who it’s about and where were from. We’re certainly not slick and we know it, but we hope you'll at least have a laugh listening to us whilst attempting to cure your insomnia.   Zzz.

The odds (and sods) were against us, but we did it anyway. Well hi, hi, hi and hello all. We’re back with another Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col, the show with more Beatles stuff per square inch than you could shake a stick at. Yes, we’ve returned, with an abundance of fun and facts about the Fabbest Four in the world, talking our heads off as per usual about The Beatles and Beatle places here in lovely Liverpool, presented by two blokes who might know what they’re talking about for a change. So, what’s in this show then smarty pants? I hear you say, well… it’s the letters K and L which feature in our Beatles With An A series (thought you deserved two letters after keeping you waiting). Mark enthralls you with the origin of Love Me Do and Col explains why a local place called Knotty Ash was so important to the band. We always have a heap of Beatle quizzes and random gumf for you, so Mark and Col duly provide a few rounds of The Terribly Terrific Beatle Trivia Quiz each, notwithstanding a special one from Col about, The Teachers Who Taught Me. Then Mark responds with another podcast fave, What Track Came Before & After, which always proves too much for Col’s brain and patience. As for features, we have a few interesting ones this time around, namely, Ringo Goes to College, who was Hilda Knipe, and name the shop where the band got their equipment repaired, amongst other random chat. Col tells you about the chemist who gave young John singing lessons. Luckily, we go off on a tangent more often than usual and talk about This Month in Beatle History, this time being January 1966 and January 1967 respectively, Col talks about Linda McCartney's one and only contribution to the Beatles records, the local Doctor who was asked to help Stuart Sutcliffe, and meet the real Uncle Albert. Beatle pseudonyms get a mention too, Mark gives his tonsils a workout, reading one of John’s stories again and somehow, once again, Col babbles on and on, chunnering about Stevie Wonder, illegal hedge trimming at Paul’s house and even a teacher nicknamed Hitler. If you like the show, drop us a message via the Beatleplaces Instagram page or better yet, tell Radio Merseyside all about us. And in conclusion, we promise more BPWMAC episodes before you can say, "Jack Robinson". Just don’t say it for a fortnight. Nighty-night folks.

The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col – Episode #24 – Yer daft get!

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good grief, we’re back. Mark and Col have had a brief sabbatical between podcasts to recharge themselves to being match-fit again for yet another vibrant Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col. As a result, we’ve got a longer than usual show cos’ we haven’t exercised our tonsils in such a long time. And in the show we’ve packed in as much as humanely possible for all lovers of Liverpool and The Beatles. Covering the letter “J” in our Beatles with an A series, we talk about a multitude of miscellany and a ton of tangential trivia to go with it, all hopefully connected to (or as near as dammit about) the Beatles and Liverpool and we hope you like it. We have the well-loved Mark providing the more well-loved than him, “This Month in Beatles History”, this time going through all the 18th Augusts’ in Fab 4 history, which proves an interesting earful. He also delights us with more readings from John’s poetry books once more. In the opposing corner is Col and as usual, he talks too much, but this time tells you about all the John Lennon’s there ever were in the Lennon family tree, why Cynthia Lennon was born in Blackpool, a mention about Pete Best's girlfriend, the significance of the Jolly Miller pub, the secret girlfriends of John and Pete Shotton in Penny Lane, Paul's paypacket July 1962, all about the mysterious Mary Lennon, John’s first Japanese love, plus the Irish side of Ringo Starr and a whole heap more. All these items are glued neatly together with a few fave quizzes and features, “What Track Came Before & After”, "Krappy Karaoke" and a new one all about Beatles song titles. In addition, and as well, we chat about the real Bungalow Bill, plus the origins of Liverpool’s favourite dish and dialect, Scouse, and we also go on the hunt to find the missing co-writer of a Beatles hit song. On the home front, Col also provides news on Paul’s rotary drier this time too. Frankly, we went on a bit too much this time and we still weren’t finished yabbing. Time for a jam butty I think. And BTW if you like what you hear drop an email to BBC Radio Merseyside, you never know, they might like us too.

The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col – Episode #23 – Two lagers and lime and two lagers and lime.

Hola, howdy and how’s your hollyhocks.? Yes, indeedi, Mark and Col have returned to the internet airwaves to provide yet another Beatleplaces With Mark & Col. (I seriously doubt whether anyone else would). Boldly babbling on where no hand has set foot, the terrific twosome, Col and Mark are excited to provide you a brand new letter in our “Beatles with an A” series. This time around, we’re discussing Beatles things connected with the letter “i” and what a jolly interesting, introspective and incisive show it proves to be (see what I did there). Mark instantly sets the tone with a few enjoyable recitations from John’s book “In His Own Write”, Col tells what he knows about when the Beatles nearly bought an island. Staying on a geographical theme, we find out a bit more about the one and only time the Beatles went to Italy and the first time the band ventured to India and very nearly didn’t. As usual, we find time to talk about the background to a few Beatle songs, namely, I’m Only Sleeping and I Feel Fine amongst others. Col tells all about the birthday song George made just for John. The Beatles first experience of Hamburg playing at the Indra club reveals a few things too. There’s always room to shoehorn a few Beatle quizzes and we do that, plus feature a few items about the Beatles solo TV appearances, the rather lucrative Intertel Videos they made, an appreciation of the LIPA/Liverpool Institute and a biog about the wondrous Neil Innes and Eric Idle. Col even gave us an update on Paul’s wheely bins. In short, if it isn’t worth talking about, it isn’t in the podcast. As you can expect, we add a lot of stuff and nonsense to proceedings as we don’t take life too seriously, except when its’ bin day. Enjoy the podcast and all who sail in her.