Newsletter - April 2025
Little Darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter...
April is my favourite time of year. The nights are getting lighter, the weather is (gradually) improving—or as good as it gets in the UK! But it also feels like the calm before the storm.
This year, my schedule is filling up fast. I’m getting entire weeks booked out, and I have enquiries coming in for 2026! This is fantastic news, but it does mean that if you’re planning a tour with me when you visit Liverpool, booking early is essential.
On a personal note, this winter has been spent coaching my son's football team. I'm proud to say I've now completed my introduction to coaching qualifications. Whether I continue remains to be seen—it's been one of the hardest jobs of my life, but also incredibly rewarding. I’ve also been enjoying time with my puppy, Snoop, and settling into our new home, it hasn't been a year yet! It’s been my first winter here, so I’ve been getting things sorted around the house. I can’t say it’s been relaxing, but the winter has given me more time to focus on family and home life. But now, let's get down to business!
George Harrison's House
In my winter newsletter, I hinted that exciting things were coming. Then, at the end of December, I publicly announced that I had become part-owner of George Harrison’s childhood home at 25 Upton Green, Speke. As a working-class lad, being part-owner of such a historic place is one of my proudest achievements. Every time I visit, I get goosebumps.
I’m grateful to Ken Lambert for the opportunity to work alongside him in developing ideas for the house’s future. Ken has done the hard work—I’m just happy to be involved in some small way.
From a Dale Liverpool Tours perspective, you can now book a stay in the house and then book a bespoke tour with me, creating one of the most exclusive experiences for Beatles fans.
We also have an exclusive event in May, with more opportunities in the future to go inside the house, so keep an eye out!
Magical Mystery Tour
Last year, I officially went part-time on The Magical Mystery Tour, just after we earned the accolade of being the 8th Best Tour in the World. These days, I guide only two days a week (Sundays and Mondays), but this summer, I’ll be doing every other Sunday. If you want to join me on a tour, contact me in advance to check my schedule.
Over the years, I’ve been on podcasts where people laughed at my belief that the world’s best tour had to come from Liverpool. But I’ve always made it my mission to prove that, and now, I don’t think I’ll jinx it: The Magical Mystery Tour is on track to officially become the world’s best tour. Since the 2023/24 judging period for TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best list, we’ve exceeded all previous numbers for 2024/25. By May or June, I’m confident it will be the UK’s best tour—and based on the data, I’d be shocked if it isn’t the best tour in the world.
I recently did the research and discovered that I am the most-reviewed tour guide in Magical Mystery Tour’s 42-year history. The company has had incredible guidesnover the years, but in terms of written feedback, I’ve received thousands of five-star reviews—without a single complaint. It blows my mind to think about the work and determination that got me here, and I couldn’t be prouder.
That said, these days I’m not setting feedback records—but tour guides who are in their first few years of guiding are! My friends Tony, Del, and Charlie are getting incredible feedback, better than I could have dreamed of in my early years of guiding. I’m now learning from them!
Liverpool should be proud to be home to the world’s greatest tours. This isn’t just a subjective opinion anymore—it’s an objective, provable with data, and it deserves to be shouted about.
The Liverpool Stories Podcast
At the end of December 2024, I launched The Liverpool Stories Podcast. I’d been working on the concept for years, and seeing it finally come to life has been incredible. The first few months have exceeded my expectations, with so many people watching the episodes!
From George Harrison’s house to The Cavern and The Casbah, the first five episodes have featured legendary locations. Soon, we’ll move on to interviews with great guests. I wanted to perfect the setup first—my guest list is ambitious.
Enter Tom Muscatelli of Muscatelli Media. Tom is a professional podcast producer who has worked with one of the city's best podcasts, Andy Grant’s Leg It Podcast, for years. Now, Tom and I have partnered up to take The Liverpool Stories Podcast to the next level, ensuring consistent, high-quality episodes and pushing for sponsorship. I have every faith it will be a huge success.
Special thanks to Toia Olivera, who helped with the first few episodes, and my friend Lili Stutz, who did a fantastic job recording Billy Stinson for episode three. I’m incredibly grateful for all the support so far—exciting things are ahead!
Bike Partnership
A few months ago, I left my office and storage unit and began selling my fleet of e-bikes. Two years ago, I publicly stated that e-bikes are the best way to see more of Liverpool and I never wish to not provide the best tour options to people. I also believe in providing sustainable tour options, and I’ve now taken the next step for sustainability.
I’m proud to announce a new partnership for the Liverpool Eco Tours side of the business with Hype Merseyside CIC, a nonprofit bike hire company and social enterprise doing fantastic work in the city. They provide affordable bike hire, training for group rides, bike maintenance, and deliver community projects.
With corporate bike tour bookings secured until 2026, it’s essential to have a reliable bike provider. While I still won’t be offering scheduled bike tours, through Hype, we can now provide self-guided tours, guided tours, and private tour bookings long into the future—all with top-quality bikes, equipment, and fully trained tour leaders.
Liverpool Tour Experiences
The only coach tour company I work with is The Magical Mystery Tour, but I also provide private vehicle tours for smaller groups. Over the past few years, I’ve worked with my friend Darren Gillingham, who has already won awards in the tourism industry despite his company being so young.
Through his company, Liverpool Tour Experiences, I’m proud to announce our partnership, but also publicly announce a tour we've designed: The Beatles and Beer Tour—a pub crawl on the road!
We visit fantastic pubs with Beatles history outside the suburbs, we've been doing this tour for a while, and have received nothing but glowing reviews. It’s perfect for corporate events, birthdays, hen and stag parties, and we already have bookings throughout the summer.
That’s all for now—thank you for your continued support! If you want to book a tour, visit www.daleliverpool.com or reach out on social media (@daleliverpool). Hope to see you soon!