This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the first Beatles single to reach the charts in Britain. Celebrations have been going on up and down the country to toast the most successful and acclaimed band in the history of popular music.
Ever since the opening sounds of John Lennon's harmonica in ‘Love Me Do' were heard, the British music scene has never been the same. Though only a relatively minor hit, the single marked the first time that the Beatles came to the public's attention. Over the next year their star climbed faster and higher than anyone could have imagined as Beatlemania swept first Britain and then the US.
Now, fifty years on, the band has just as many fans willing to come out and celebrate, both young and old. The festivities this weekend centred around the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, in the north-west of England.
