Liverpool Capital of Culture Tour - Yellow Submarine

The Yellow Submarine

So here it is, the first in a series of articles I am planning to share with you in reference to the 2008 European Capital of Culture, the city of Liverpool here in the United Kingdom

The plan is, I’m going to research places of interest around the city, then get out and about and visit these places, take some photographs, and then post an article about each place

I’m hoping this will be a useful travel guide for visitors to the city, without giving too much away because I don’t want to spoil any surprises!

So, here goes…

The first place I decided to visit was ‘The Yellow Submarine’ which is currently located at Liverpool John Lennon Airport in Speke

The Yellow Submarine was built in honour of The Beatles’ film and song

If you’re not familiar with the song, it goes like this:

(Lennon/McCartney)

In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines

So we sailed up to the sun
Till we found the sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine

We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

And our friends are all on board
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play

We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

As we live a life of ease
Everyone of us has all we need
Sky of blue and sea of green
In our yellow submarine.

We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in our yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

Good isn’t it?

Herhum. Okay, so it wasn’t one of The Beatles’ best, and probably not helped by the fact that Ringo took lead vocal, and bear in mind the song is now nearly forty years old and fashions change

Anyway, this particular Yellow Submarine is just over twenty years old

Designed by Graham Burgess, the Yellow Submarine is 51 feet long and weighs 20 tons

It was built in 1984 by apprentices at Cammel Laird Shipbuilding in Birkenhead, then came ‘over the water’ to Liverpool, and was first displayed at Otterspool, overlooking the river Mersey, as part of the Liverpool International Garden Festival in 1984

In 1997 the Festival site finally closed, and the Yellow Submarine was left to become a rusting heap but in 2000, the Yellow Submarine was finally rescued by the Council and was taken for renovation by New Deal trainees from Liverpool Architecture and Design Trust

The Yellow Submarine ‘sailed away’ to the city centre where it was displayed in Chevasse Park, opposite the Albert Dock (feature on this coming soon)

When redevelopment work commenced in 2005 ( for the 2008 celebrations) the Yellow Submarine was moved on again, and found it’s new home at the gateway to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, where it has been agreed by Liverpool City Council it can remain for at least five years, without danger of a parking ticket

When the Yellow Submarine was unveiled at the airport, Liverpool City Councillor Mike Storey said:

“The Yellow Submarine fits in well with the Beatles theme which is developing at John Lennon Airport. What a wonderful sight it is for visitors from all over the world to Liverpool as they get off their plane and are greeted by one of our great symbols of the city