A code of conduct has been introduced for all tour guides and visitors to Beatles landmarks in Liverpool.
It aims to protect residents living near some of the popular sites in the city, including Sir Paul McCartney’s childhood home in Allerton, Strawberry Field and Penny Lane, and the house where George Harrison was born in Wavertree.
The code was published by The Beatles Legacy Group and was agreed by local tour guides, The Beatles Story museum and the Liverpool Business Improvement District.
Peter Hooton, chairman of the legacy group, said: “We want people to get great pictures and capture their memories, but it is important that we remind visitors of their responsibility to be respectful.”
The code of conduct suggests a capacity of 16 in vehicles visiting McCartney’s former home in Forthlin Road, and no vehicles of any kind can access Arnold Grove in Wavertree, the house where George Harrison was born.
Guides are advised to turn off their engines, to protect the privacy of homes by ensuring tourists do not peer through windows or knock on doors, and keep noise and disruption to a minimum.
Residents ‘treated with respect’
Visiting hours are suggested between 09.30 and 18:00 during BST and until 16:00 in GMT.
In 2024, a blue plaque was erected in Arnold Grove in Wavertree.
Beatles tour guide Jackie Spencer posted last summer on social media that the increase in visitors and tours to the narrow streets had led to residents erecting a metal chain to manage access.
Hooton began a process of meetings and consultations with various tour guides, designed to explore how guidance should be offered to those leading in tours, be they tour operators, taxi firms or members of the public.
Paul Beesley, chairman of The Liverpool City Region Tourist Guides Association and BBC Radio Merseyside presenter, said: “Our members are keen to ensure that residents living in and around former homes of The Beatles are treated with respect at all times.
“We can only guide in these residential areas with the support and consent of the residents and we fully support the introduction of this code of conduct by The Beatles Legacy Group.”
