Col and Mark, the world’s only conjoined idiots, are back with another poddycast, filled with more wonderful, hopefully humourous and mildly informative insights about The Beatles and our beloved hometown, Liverpool. Yes, The Beatleplaces Podcast with Mark and Col, takes you here and there and even everywhere else, for about an hour and a bit, once again meandering through Beatles miscellany with more than a smattering of mirth and random interruptions along the way. This time around in our, Beatles with an “A” series, we attained the heady heights of the alphabet, stopping at letter “M”. Fan favourite Mark, deconstructs how “Michelle” came to be, whilst Col visits George’s old home in Mackets Lane. There’s a nifty feature about the Beatles M.B.E’s, a short biog about Arthur Ballard, John’s art teacher, who saw his talent early on, plus a neat feature about the people or places where each of the band had music lessons or bought instruments. Captain Curious (Col) tracks down the real Mister Mustard and gives you a heads-up on some new mini-podcasts coming soon, namely, the Beatles & Scotland and a Liverpool- Beatles Walking Tour, for anyone up for it. Stuffed in between all this, like the polystyrene chips you find in an Amazon parcel, is our usual panoply of confounding Beatle quizzes, plus another Krappy Karaoke or two, courtesy of Mark. For his part, Col contributes some silliness as per usual, chatting about Paul & George’s grammar school teachers and their appropriate nicknames, notwithstanding discussing John's first ever school, and why he left it abruptly. In addition, we give you the true story of the infamous “Flaming Pie” and even what flavour it was. There’s also a mention about Rene Magritte, how “Martha, My Dear” and “Magical Mystery Tour” were written (and I don’t mean with a biro), plus why Ringo can’t help with Col’s sore toe, our newly-acquired Harvard University fans, who Gordon Butler and Dougie Millings are and even tell you where Paul stayed when he came back to Liverpool this week, cos’ he likes her scrambled eggs. There’s probably more, but I’m getting writer’s cramp now. Go on, fill yer boots. Enjoy the show.

We’ve seen the emails, read the letters and court summons' and ignored them all. We’re back to present another exciting, quirky, but fun episode of The Beatleplaces Podcast with Mark & Col and damn the expense- all £3.10 of it. All aboard if you’re coming. Suitably pepped up by Earl Grey tea and M&S custard creams, we are continuing with the “Beatles With An A” series, where we’ve managed to reach almost the middle of the alphabet without breaking a sweat, but I’ll have a bath anyway after this, now you mention it. Letter “L” takes the stage this time and Mark & Col invite you to spend an hour in their company, chatting about all things Beatle, starting with an “L”. It also gives us an excuse to show off our little town of Liverpool and remind you and ourselves just how great it is. Jammed into the show we have a few nifty, Terribly Tricky Trivia Beatle quizzes, one about Paul and one about Beatles memorabilia. Mark oils his tonsils to recite even more John Lennon extracts from “In His Own Write” which he does with usual aplomb. Col is all out of aplomb, so he regales Beatle tales of when George bought 25 steak and kidney pies for the Cavern fans, what strange machine did John sing along to in his student days, the places where all the Beatles played as kids in Liverpool as well as Dungeon Lane, talks about John’s tax return (and his sock collection), revealing how much a Beatle earned in 1961, plus tells you which famous person went to see the Beatles at the infamous Litherland Town Hall gig in December 1961. Mark offers some interesting insights in to the oddest member of the Apple organisation- Magic Alex, reviews “1,2,3,4” by Craig Brown and gives the low-down on Derek Taylor’s expenses in Apple’s heyday. Mark is also ably equipped to trip Col up yet again with another “Krappy Karaoke” session, and tells you about the magical Beatles song inspired by the B842, plus the origin of Lady Madonna. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Col tells you of some great “Liverpool Firsts” and mentions other famous Liverpool people besides John, Paul, George, Ringo, Col or Mark. That aside, if however, you’d rather spend an hour not enjoying a whole bunch of Beatles bits and pieces and having a laugh or two along the way to brighten your day, then good luck with painting your ceiling, translating your flatpack furniture instructions or washing the cat. Gazunka! (You'll be Googling that one, no doubt)

The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col – Episode #26- It’s a John Lennon Special!

“How-do”, as we say, up North. Messrs Mark & Col wish you all well and welcome to another Beatleplaces Podcast. It’s the least we can do- a quantity we never seem to specialise in, because we’re more than pleased to present another excessively fun-packed edition of The Beatleplaces Podcast With Mark & Col and this time around (cue fanfare or three kazoos) its’ “L” in our “Beatles With An A” series, allowing us to self-indulge in a John Lennon Special podcast! That’s right, loads of John Lennon stuff tonight, so much so in fact, I wondered if this intro should be in pdf format. Understandably, Liverpool and the other three fellas in the band (who’s names escape me just now) get a mention here and there, but essentially, it’s Mr. Winston O’Boogie’s show all the way. Topics on the podcast include, John’s interest in the number 9, John’s brothers and sisters, when John found Elvis, more on John’s family tree, the schoolkid who inspired John to write “I Am The Walrus” as well as a look at the song itself, the songs John sang but never recorded and The Wizard of Oz connection. Of course, we’re contractually obliged to chuck in a few John Lennon quizzes to perplex brains 40 watts and over, including a silly one about teachers nicknames. We also get to meet Polythene Patricia, talk about Dungeon Lane, “The Prisoner” TV show and it’s Beatles associations, as well as a newly-found Beatleplace in Woolton, where you can buy a souvenir pastie (veggie available). Marvellous Mark enlightens us with a few recitals from John’s first book, “In His Own Write” and a few other places, plus Col reveals what you never knew about John’s ex-gf, Barbara Baker, and is back to his tangential toppermost when he tells you how to reach Ringo in 1961, the one Scouse word you’ll only ever need, some terrible Beatleplaces merchandise ideas, even naming the maternity nurses who brought John into the world in 1940, and most importantly of all, an update on Paul’s rotary drier. As per usual, the whole thing’s glued together with love of all things Beatles and Liverpool, ‘cos that’s who it’s about and where were from. We’re certainly not slick and we know it, but we hope you'll at least have a laugh listening to us whilst attempting to cure your insomnia. Zzz.