Magical Mystery Tour 1 took place November 10-16, 2007. For me, it was the trip of a lifetime. We were met in Birmingham, England by our very British guide Glen Portch. By tour’s end, he was more than our guide. He was our friend. Glen has it all; knowledge, personality, sense of humor and an adventurous spirit. I’m looking forward to working with Glen again when we embark on Magical Mystery Tour 2.

We spent two days in Liverpool, a great port city that is in the midst of construction frenzy. While we were there, we took the ferry across The Mersy, toured The Beatles Story Museum, and we were lucky enough to get a personal tour of The Casbah Coffee Club by none other than Pete Best’s brother Roag. We also saw the former homes of John, Paul, George and Ringo. A walking tour included stops at the site of Brian Epstein’s NEMS office, Hessy’s Music Store, and Mathew Street, where the Cavern has been rebuilt.

On Tuesday, it was off to London, by way of Henley-On-Thames where we had lunch after stopping at Friar Park, longtime home of George Harrison. London is a fantastic city and their subway, known as “The Tube” is very clean and super efficient. Our London coach and walking tour included The Royal Albert Hall, The Paladium, the site of the Apple Office where the Beatles’ rooftop concert took place and Twickenham Film Studio.

On Wednesday night most of us saw the musical “Chicago”. London‘s West End has many theaters and restaurants. You could spend a month there seeing plays and eating.

Our last day in London was a “free day”. Many of us opted for The Tower of London, The Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and The London Eye, which is a giant ferris wheel that holds plexiglass capsules. Each capsule accommodates 25 people and once you reach the top of the wheel, the panoramic view of London is breathtaking. I can’t wait for Magical Mystery Tour 2. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.