Since the start of the Covid pandemic, Paul Endacott, MD of Music Heritage London, (MHL) has been taking music lovers from around the world on LIVE, interactive, online, guided tours across London using the Zoom platform. And they have been proving remarkably popular (as the Trip Advisor reviews below will attest).
Customers from as far afield as South Africa, USA, Australia, Canada and much of Europe have already taken part in MHL’s ‘Swinging 60s Experience’, their ‘Birth of the Rolling Stones’ and ‘Beatles in West London’ tours as they rock across town – virtually, in a psychedelic shuttle-bus, to a backdrop of live commentary and music with original jingles supplied by Radio Caroline. With stops at iconic locations, participants have been able to get within touching distance of the era as they listened to first hand accounts from thecelebrity guest and asked their own questions.
On alternate Saturday’, MHL hosts the ‘Beatles in West London’ experience, an interactive 90-minute guided tour that goes back to the many locations in West London where the Beatles worked, performed and played. Starting at Chiswick House & Gardens where ‘Rain’ and ‘Paperback Writer’ pop promos were shot, the tour also visits ‘HELP!’ and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ film locations around Twickenham Studios and the location of one of the group’s last photo-shoots in 1969.
On Saturday 3rd October, MHL is delighted to welcome, as their special Beatles’ tour guest, the celebrated author and broadcaster LESLEY-ANN JONES whose latest book, ‘Who Killed John Lennon: The Lives, Loves and Deaths of the Greatest Rock Star’, has just been published.
Lesley-Ann Jones – author
Lesley-Ann Jones honed her craft on Fleet Street, where she worked as a reporter, newspaper columnist and feature writer for more than 20 years. She has also worked extensively in radio and television, appearing regularly in music documentaries in the UK, USA and Australia.
Recent published works by Lesley-Ann include the Sunday Times Top Five Bestseller ‘Bohemian Rhapsody: The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury’, re-issued in October 2018 to accompany the award-winning Queen feature film of the same name; ‘Hero: David Bowie’; ‘Ride a White Swan: The Lives and Death of Marc Bolan’; her novel ‘Imagine’ and her debut memoir ‘Tumbling Dice’. Her latest book, ‘Who Killed John Lennon: The Lives, Loves and Deaths of the Greatest Rock Star’, is out now.
The award winning tour on October 3rd is ideal for all fans who want to discover the lesser known Beatles locations in London and ‘Get Back’ to where they once belonged!
The global audience can visit the iconic locationsfrom the comfort and safety of their own home, anywhere in the world – via Zoom.Initially aimed at global consumers,wanting to know more about this remarkable time in history, the tours also hold a strong appeal for travel agents looking to connect with their stay-at-home clients through unique, bespoke promotions.
Scheduled tour capacity is currently set at 40, although private group tours can carry up to 100 passengers -ideal for the travel trade. Tours cost from £12pp, which can be deducted from any future real-life MHL tour whenever London opens again.
Paul Endacott – Founder & Managing Director, Music Heritage London (MHL)
As a child growing up in Malta in the 60s, Paul remembers the sounds of The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Beatles and Stones with fondness and excitement. Little did he know that, 50years later, the first band he would promote at Richmond’s original Crawdaddy Club location would be the 60s All Stars which include dMick Avory, the drummer of the Kinks.
After spending over 40 years in the design and advertising industry, latterly running his own agency, Paul decided it was time for a career change and at the age 59, after an inspirational visit to Liverpool in 2015, he founded Music Heritage London (MHL).
As a Richmond resident since the late 70s, Paul was aware of the vast music heritage of his home town and set about packaging and promoting this unique music collateral to London’s inbound tourism market, with guided tours on a 1960s Routemaster London bus and hosting live music at the same venue that kicked-off The Rolling Stones’ career back in 1963.
In the last five years, Paul has successfully secured collaborations with destination partners that have included the V&A Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Hard Rock, Troubadour, Olympic Studios, Half Moon, Gore Hotel and many more. His tours and events were getting noticed, gaining in visibility and popularity and rapidly climbing up the Trip Advisor London Tour rankings… The Royal Albert Hall had even curated a special ‘Sixties at The Hall’ tour for Paul and were now selling tickets for his ‘Swinging 60s London Experience’ tours from their box office with a view to rolling out in the summer of 2020. Then COVID-19 happened and, with it, the decimation of London’s tourism and event business.
As a semi-pro musician and singer, Paul is accustomed to playing to an audience with the qualities needed to keep the customer satisfied. This skill has proven invaluable when guiding a new era of LIVE and interactive, online tours from a newly acquired 9-nine-seat psychedelic shuttle bus. And judging by recent Trip Advisor reviews from a global audience, online tours are here to stay.
