Jacaranda Club

This coffee bar in central Liverpool - known as "Jac" - was opened in the 1958's by local businessman Allan Williams. It was a popular destination for students. The Beatles played here around a dozen times. Allan booked them when he was unable to secure them gigs elsewhere. They weren't well-known at the time and earned little money. On Mondays the normal house band The Royal Caribbean Steel Band sometimes had a night off and he asked the little-known The Silver Beatles to play. He paid them with beans on toast and glasses of Coca-Cola. Allan has been credited as being the first Beatles manager but he wasn't really. He saw something in the rough-and-ready band and gave them a chance.

In the sixties The Jac was a trendy spot for young people and not parents. There was a posh Italian Expresso machine and a juke box to further improve the hip atmosphere. It's a short walk from the Liverpool Art College and students John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe were regular visitors. It still exists today and after walking around the city all day I decided to look for it before heading back to the car parked the big cathedral. Over the years the Jac has grown by extending itself into the premises at each side and though it looks tired in old photos it doesn't now.

It's difficult to think that once The Beatles helped redecorate the place in payment for them using the basement as a rehearsal studio. According to Pete Best this is where John Lennon first introduced the band as "The Beatles". My legs were tired after a day of walking but I was glad I'd seen it. I did a salute and left.

1980's

August 1990