Imagine the scene if you will: the venue is the Elizabethan Ballroom, the date is Thursday March 7th 1963 and the occasion is the first time the Beatles played in Nottingham. The Elizabethan Ballroom was situated above Co-operative House on Parliament Street, Nottingham.

This concert was called the Mersey Beat Showcase and was organized by the Beatles manager Brian Epstein. It took its name from the Liverpool newspaper of the same name and its editor, Bill Harry, was personally asked by Mr. Epstein for permission to use the name. There were six Mersey Beat Showcase concerts held around the country on various dates, but Nottingham, coincidentally, was where the first took place.

The night consisted of an all Liverpudlian line-up, both on stage and beyond. Groups on the bill included Gerry & the Pacemakers, the Big Three, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, and last but not least, the Beatles. To keep in line with the Liverpool theme, Bob Wooler, the Cavern Club disc jockey, compeered the event.

A substantial turnout to the gig was expected that night as all the acts performing were increasing in popularity around this time. A big crowd was guaranteed, in fact, as NEMS Enterprises organized two coaches to transport eighty fans from Liverpool to Nottingham to watch the gig for the sum of £1.50 each. Regular tickets were priced at six shillings and six pence - not a bad price to personally witness groups that would go on to set the standard for a generation of music lovers.

Even though the Beatles had already broken through into the charts and gone to Number One with 'Please Please Me', they were still mucking in and helping to unload and set up their own equipment. They certainly had no time to let their flourishing fame go to their heads.

In the audience that night was local lad Rob Taylor, then in his twenties. He reminisced about enjoying the show, but it was an event afterwards that stands out in his mind above everything else:

"When the show had ended I nipped off quickly to the loo before me and my mates left for home. After a while wandering around, I realized I was lost. One of the doors I randomly tried led into a sitting area where I could see some people chatting. When they heard the door open they turned around and I could see that it was the Beatles. It could have been very awkward, me walking in on them like that, but they were very nice about it. They directed me to the toilet and I went on my way."

If this was not enough of a memory to cherish of the night, Mr. Taylor also told me of a promise of autographs he made to his friend's niece:

"She asked me to collect the Beatles autographs for her. Basically, I faked them. I didn't think they were going to become as famous as they did so I didn't think there was any harm in it. I was wrong on both counts."

The Elizabethan Ballroom, as the rest of Co-operative House, has been vacant since the late 1990s. It is currently awaiting redevelopment.

Later that same year, on Thursday May 23 1963, the fabs were back in Nottingham, this time at the Odeon Theatre on Angel Row. The venue was much bigger than where the previous gig was held as audience sizes were swelling. The 2,500 seat auditorium was needed as more and more Beatle converts were appearing after they had recently had another Number One hit with 'From Me To You' on April 11th.

A sell out concert was guaranteed once again, so several alterations were made to the tour. The Beatles replaced Roy Orbison as the headlining act due to their ability to pull big audiences. Other changes included a rise in ticket prices by sixpence, in comparison to the Mersey Beat Showcase and an increased police presence at the gig for the fans and the group's safety.

The Odeon was built in 1933 and over the years has seen many famous artists gracing its stage. The rock 'n' roll era saw Little Richard and the Rolling Stones playing there.

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