Matthew Street (Liverpool)
Matthew Street is a fairly humble street in Liverpool which has a special place in the history of popular music.
It was around Matthew Street that the Beatles honed their performances, which of course led to the worldwide phenomenon which changed popular culture forever.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were the four who captured the world's hearts and minds in the early 1960s. Stuart Sutcliffe died before they became really popular, and on the eve of their breakthrough Ringo replaced the drummer Pete Best.
After the group's break-up, all four embarked on highly successful careers. Two of the four are still alive, after John was murdered in New York and George passed away much more recently.
The Grapes is the pub where the boys used to drink between shows, and just around the corner is the seated statue of Eleanor Rigby, sculpted by Tommy Steele. A little further along the street is a light installation, which was unveiled by Gerry Marsden.
The focal point, and most famous feature, of Matthew Street, is The Cavern Club, where the Beatles really made their name. The original club was demolished when an underground railway was constructed, but it has been rebuilt underneath the Cavern Walks shopping centre.
Across the street, now pedestrianised, is the club that was used while this construction was going on. It has a fantastic list on the outside wall of famous names who have appeared there.
Next door, and much photographed, is the statue of John Lennon lounging in a doorway, recreating the pose from the cover of the "Rock'n'Roll" album that he made with Phil Spector.