Breakfast in bed with Saturday's supplements.  I found out that it costs £97.50 to get to Hamburg by train "there's a charming historic old town to explore ... plus tours around the Beatles' old hangouts from the Fab Four's time in the city" (Times: Weekend. Germany by train ... p30). 

I also discovered that Mark Ellen (rock journalist) "is an amiable, McCartney-esque figure" who has recently published a vivid memoir "Rock Stars stole my life! A big bad love affair with music" (Times: Saturday Review p12).

But I did already know that the Everly Brothers had a profound effect on the Beatles.  A trailer advertising a R2 programme on the pair reminded me today.  Mike was a big fan of the Everlys: we saw them a couple of times and he used to sing their songs with his close friend Steve Cartwright in a group called Earl and the Shiltones!