[John Hollister]

Hi Walter,

I’ll definitely look into it. It’s so nice to find a place on the internet that doesn’t make you upset and angry. It’s positivity central around here.

[John Hollister]

Thanks for the tip JP. I have a niece in Salisbury who is a serious musician. I’ll share one of her songs at a later date. She had a London-based band in the nineties. Her boyfriend, bandmate, and now husband was working the door on a club they were playing. The place was full so he turned some guy away. The guy was Robert Plant.

Their son fell in love with everything Beatle at the ripe old age of ten and went to Liverpool last year. The kids these days know quality and they’re not getting it. I’ve got a good mind to get him an MLT club membership. He plays the drums and I’m sure he would find a lot of inspiration from the twins.

I really appreciate how the MLTs are sticking to their principles and are realizing their own vision and not getting swept away by the current sad state of the muzak industry.

To Thine Own Self Be True

With the world being such a mess, it’s nice to have a place like this to detox.

[John Hollister]

Hi Jung,

I think I need to talk to you before I plan my next trip to Vancouver!

[John Hollister]

Hi Ian,

Staying connected has been a challenge during the pandemic. It’s so important to have a good support system. FaceTime and zoom have been a blessing since I can visit with my daughter and grandkids any time I like.

John

[John Hollister]

Thanks Jung,

I need to give some more attention to their originals.

John

[John Hollister]

Thanks Johnny,

I’ll check it out.

John

[John Hollister]

Thanks Tomas,

My blog is there mainly to keep track of my adventures given the tendency to forget many people, places, and experiences. Also, it gives me something to share with my granddaughters. I may monetize the thing, but it’s pretty much a labor of love. Perhaps I’ll try and get some travel articles published or create the line of travel clothing I’ve had on the drawing board. Of course, sometimes just traveling and meeting new people is more than enough to keep me busy. For now, I’m chilling in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

John

[John Hollister]

Hi Howard,

I’ll keep you updated with all of my future visits. I’ve got friends and relatives near Stonehenge and Liverpool so I try to make a pitstop every year.

John

[John Hollister]

Hi Lisa,

Love the “Follow the Sun” video. I’m looking forward to getting back to Liverpool when it’s not Beatle Week and re-establishing my love for the city. Hopefully, things are getting better as the city emerges from the pandemic. Hopefully, I can check seeing the MLT’s at the Cavern off of my bucket list before too much time passes.

I’m sure you guys will be playing more frequently in the coming months as more and more people get vaccinated. I just saw that there was major improvement in the UK during the last week.

Stay Well,

John

[John Hollister]

Hi Jung,

Your points are well taken. I’ve found that many times travel experiences can be affected by timing, circumstances, poor locations, or just a bad mood so I never write off a city on a quick visit. With a highly lauded city like Vancouver, I’ll always give a second chance. Also, I’m always happy to encounter Canadians since they remind me of polite Americans who haven’t lost their minds. Things have gone off the deep end in post-truth, anti-science America.

I met a couple from Vancouver Island in Costa Rica, and want to go check it out so I’ll make a pit stop in Vancouver to give it another shot. I’m sure it won’t be the insane asylum I encountered on my first visit.

If I do there will be an open invitation to you for coffee or drinks.

Best,

John

[John Hollister]

Hey Jung,

I’m hoping my latest encounter with the city during Beatle Week was an aberration or that at least they’ve addressed the homeless problem in their streets. There’s no reason for this sort of thing to go on in the US, Canada, or the UK. Whether in San Francisco, Vancouver, or Liverpool surely these three wealthy countries can assuage the suffering of veterans, the mentally ill, the down on their luck, and the myriad people just looking for a leg up in life. As it is, the forgotten people continue to deteriorate, places like Matthew Street are ruined for visitors who’ve come from all over the world, and tourism, the lifeblood of Liverpool, is irreparably damaged. Everybody loses. I visited Vancouver once and had a bit of a Liverpool “Beatle Week” experience there. Walking down the street was like one of those bizarre Fellini films from the seventies.

I ended up spending most of my time vaping BC Bud in a smoking cafe just to cope. That post in my blog got a lot of responses from Vancouver residents agreeing with my assessment.

Here’s that post. It is a beautiful city, though.

All the Best

https://thetravelzealot.com/2016/08/28/canada-vancouver-overrated-city-visited-date/

[John Hollister]

Hi Thomas,

Let’s hope it’s a happy ending. Beatle Week attracted a very unsavory lot, but I have hope for the future. There’s no point in anyone suffering. Not the homeless, not Matthew Street, not Liverpool, and not the Beatles legacy.

[John Hollister]

Hi Thomas,

I’m glad you got a taste of the Liverpool experience nonetheless. The dates are in the links I posted 2015, 2017, 2018. A lot can happen in three years, so I’m hoping they’ve sorted out Matthew Street. At any rate, I’ll probably stop by Liverpool in 2022. When I do I’ll have a fresh update for you all as well as any adventures that may present themselves. I’m always getting new Beatle stories from around town. The older scousers usually have a good Cavern Club story or two. Hopefully, I’ll finally be able to catch an MLT performance!!!

[John Hollister]

Good One Jackie.

[John Hollister]

Hey Thomas,

I grew up in Tuxedo Park, New York, and had friends near you in Beacon. I hope you got the health problems sorted out and weathered the COVID storm in one piece. We’re about the same age, and perhaps we’ll run into each other in the Cavern Club sometime.

I’ve been to Liverpool twice, but I wouldn’t recommend Beatle Week. It’s a madhouse. It’s much better to go at another time and catch some shows in the Cavern. There is also a house Beatle Tribute Band if you need a dose of the Mersey Beat. They are in full costume and put on an excellent show for only 20 pounds.