The NEMS Shop.

A chance enquiry here on 28th October 1961 sparked the biggest pop phenomena of our time. Legend has it that Raymond Jones walked into the NEMS shop at 12 Whitechapel and asked for a record, "My Bonnie" by The Beatles. The assistant had never heard of it and called the shop's manager, Brian Epstein, to ask if it could be ordered. The rest as they say is history.

After all these years, it's hard to say how accurate the story actually is. It has been said that more than a hundred copies of the single had already made their way through the shop by the date of Jones' visit. Whatever the truth of the matter, Brian Epstein was the man responsible for ensuring that copies were available.

The offices above the shop soon became the nerve-centre of Brian's operations, managing The Beatles as well as a host of other Merseybeat groups. Unfortunately the shop has changed hands several times over the years. In 1991, when it was used by the electrical retailers, Rumbelows, a Harp Beat plaque was unveiled by Gerry Marsden, commemorating the shop's importance in pop history. Now the site is occupied by an Ann Summers lingerie/sex shop and the whereabouts of the plaque are unknown.

John Lennon Statue *The Cavern Club *The Dooley Statue *The Grapes
The Beatles Shop *Eleanor Rigby Statue *Hessy's Music Shop *Rushworth's Music House

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