It Started with Rainbows and Ended with Fireworks.

I met Shaun and "Mogger" at the IBMA conference in September of 2025. They walked up, excited to meet me, and exclaimed - in a wonderful Scouse accent - that I was the reason they were there.  Truthfully, I think they said something like "Yer the reason we're 'ere, la!" I immediately had them clarify that they had not made their journey from Liverpool on the off chance they might encounter me.  

That's when they explained that they had been learning to play banjo and using my instructional videos over the past few years and decided to make the trip.  We immediately hit it off, and it wasn’t long before the idea of having me over for a banjo workshop came up.  In just under a year's time it happened.  

Terry (Mogger), Me, Shaun at IBMA in 2025

I have to admit that I had some apprehension. It's not like this is a day trip.  It felt big, because it was. Shaun and I continued to hash out the details and excitement grew with each step of the process. 

Date: settled. Location: settled. Flight booked, accommodations arranged. The Liverpool workshop was in place!  

We began to advertise, and in a few days we had a respectable-sized class, and nearly two days’ worth of private lessons! 

The day of the trip arrived, right on the heels of a fantastic old-time banjo workshop in Indianapolis.  I got my laundry done and packed my bag for Liverpool. What’s the weather like there? Do I need a jacket? What about extra shoes?  Will I need nice clothes?  You know… all those decisions we make every time we pack.  It then occurred to me that Liverpool has anything I might forget and the stress of packing disappeared. 

Off to the airport!  I almost always fly out of Atlanta, so I made my way to the busiest airport (by passengers) in the world.  [I had to look that up; glad I did. I also learned ATL is #2 in the world for aircraft movements; Chicago O’Hare takes the number one spot.]  Traffic was exactly what you might expect, but I found parking and made my way through the gauntlet of check-in, bag drop, and security. 

Folks that travel through ATL regularly will tell you to arrive at the airport 3 hours early. That may seem excessive, especially if you’re used to smaller regional airports.  Do you really need the three hours?  Let’s just say, “when you do, you do.”  

There’s always a hangup somewhere, and you can count on the odds of that increasing if you’re toting a banjo as your carry-on.  Fortunately, everything went smoothly and I even had time to grab a snack before my red-eye flight to Manchester. 

Can you sleep on an airplane? I can’t. Could be the anticipation, or it could be that I’m a big guy and I don’t fit well in a regular economy seat. “Couldn’t you buy a seat with more space?” That’s “a-whole-nother ball of worms”, but remember, I’m a banjo player/teacher.  

Knees, meet seatback...

I arrived in Manchester at 7am local time, went through passport control, grabbed my bag and headed to arrivals where I spotted Mogger and Shaun waiting to collect me. 

The weather was damp with a light mist of rain. Both Shaun and Mogger apologized for the weather and assured me that the weather had been nice. Then, as we approached the Mersey Gateway Bridge there was a huge rainbow. I wish I could have taken a better picture of it, but we were all in awe. By the time it occurred to me to snap a photo it wasn’t as bright since our position had changed.  You’ll just have to take my word for it, and for the second one we saw right as we drove into Liverpool. 

You'll have to take my word for it; it was amazing.

We had planned that I would get to Liverpool a couple of days before the workshop.  That way Shaun and Mogger could take me to meet their local banjo teacher and to one of the pubs where there’s a new blossoming bluegrass jam. 

I grabbed a quick nap, and then took a short walk to get my bearings before Shaun and Mogger picked me up for the next adventure.  

With Mogger behind the wheel we headed to Wigan to meet Steve, their banjo teacher.  Steve turned out to be a great guy and a gifted teacher.  The four of us sat around for a while and just played tunes, told stories and enjoyed tea and scones.  When we left Steve’s wife made sure we each had a bag of scones to take with us.  

Steve and his Wife

Later we dropped Shaun off at his house and Mogger and I headed to the Red Lion where there was a jam. When I walked in I got big smiles from a couple of the younger players that recognized me from my YouTube channel.   What I wasn’t expecting was a saxophone player. 

Jam at the Red Lion in Liverpool

I didn’t play, as space was tight, but Mogger and I hung around to listen. When he stepped away for a moment I was instantly set upon by this tiny redheaded girl that wanted to know why an American was hanging around with a Scouser, if I knew the Amy Winehouse song Valerie, and if I could guess where she was from by her accent - along with  several other things, and before I could get a word in edgewise she declared that I wasn’t very talkative.  I’ve always had a gift of gab, but I must admit I was certainly outmatched by this tiny redhead from Belfast (I did manage to get that right). 

Mogger returned up about that point and we decided to call it a night.  

Red-eye flight, quick nap, short walk through city center, calm jam, rowdy pub… what a great first day in Liverpool. 

Friday was more relaxed.  Shaun and I did a little sightseeing and later that afternoon I met with David, another banjo lesson content creator. You’ll have to wait and see our collaboration!  In the meantime you can find him at www.YouTube.com/banjotemple - he’s doing great things there.  

David created a fun and tasty video!

Jet lag is real, folks!  I set an alarm. I promise! I woke up to my alarm that had been blaring away for a while. I barely enough time to get a shower and a quick bite before the workshop started. 

I made my way to the conference room where the workshop was, settled in and watched people steadily fill the room. Most were from the surrounding area, but some had come from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales!  

When you offer a workshop like this you wind up with players at all sorts of skill levels.  This one was no different. I do my best to share ideas and advice that can benefit beginners as well as more advanced players. Offering one-on-one lessons allowed me more flexibility too with the direction of the class. Half of the class signed up for a private lesson!  

The Classiest Class!

In the private lessons I could really get an idea of what each might need to work on and we focused on those things. There’s no magic to it, and no real secrets.  I just emphasized to each student that I was there for them. It was also a way for me to connect with folks beyond just a workshop setting. 

With Saturday’s workshop finished, I went to supper with Shaun, Mogger, and two new friends: Lee, who had made a banjo strap for me, and Kayne, a fantastic picker from somewhere near Knowsley. At Bella Italia, I found myself baffled by the hostess’s gloriously thick Scouse accent.

We finished supper and Shaun headed home. I spent the evening at a couple of pubs with Mogger, Kayne and Lee.  Midnight slipped up on me and I called it a night and walked the couple of blocks to my room.  The rest, I’m told, were out to nearly 3 a.m.  Some of us (me) had more lessons the next day.  

I filled Sunday with lessons and that evening Shaun, Mogger, and I found ourselves in another jam session at Kayne’s.  He manages a huge estate and I believe I’ve seen more pheasants on the driveway up to his house than I had ever seen in my life.   I met a couple of new folks there too. I have to say, that little jam at Kayne’s may be one of the highlights of this trip. It wasn’t necessarily for the music; it was good.  It was the camaraderie, stories, ribbing… everything that fills a heart with friendship.  I slept well that night. 

Monday morning I got up and visited the Liverpool Central Library.  The interior design ranged from large modern spaces to a huge multilevel circular reading room lined with dark wood that looked to be straight out of Hogwarts.  I could have spent the entire day there.  It was one of those places that will last in my memory - probably forever.  

The Picton Reading Room

That afternoon we met up with Richard, another content creator who had come over from Sheffield. We met at the Palm House in Sefton Park.  Once we found a shady spot outside the banjos came out and we entertained ourselves and a few other folks that sat with us to listen. 

Shaun, Mogger, Richard, Me

That evening, Shaun, Mogger, and  I headed to Rainford for the regular jam they attend.  I’m told that jam has been happening there for over thirty years.  Once we were all sufficiently fed, the instruments came out.  There were songs and tunes called at tempos for everyone.  All the new friends I had made up to that point were there.  There was also a young guitar player (James) whom I had met at that first visit to the Red Lion. He graced us all by calling a plethora of fun tunes and is full of enthusiasm.  

I woke up early on Tuesday.  Shaun and Mogger had big plans for me. We started off at the Royal Liver Building.  It was opened in 1911, and the clocks are bigger than Big Ben - a point a pride among the Liverpudlians.  We walked the 130 some steps up to the clock, and got a great view of the city.  

During the tour of the building we got to see the inside of the clocktower where we watched a brief, but immersive, animated film about the history of the area and of the Liver building. One scene still stays in my mind.  It's nighttime in the city.  I hear a low rumble.  Thunder?  No... It's a steady droning sound.  In the distance I see the small silhouette of a plane, then another, and another, and another.  There were too many for me to count.  Though I knew what was happening, I could only stand and watch as I heard explosions.  

I guess it never occurred to me that Liverpool endured the Blitz.  Sure, it makes sense with city being an important port. Even knowing that didn't prepare me for the feeling of watching those planes approach the city I had come to love over this past week.  I felt helpless.  I felt angry.  It made me cry. 

Yet, I also felt proud of "my" Liverpudlians.  They had endured it, and they rebuilt. The Liverpool that I had come to know and love stood as a testament to their courage and toughness. 

The Royal Liver Building is beautiful.  It's definitely a site you won't want to miss when you travel there.  

A view from the top - and of - of the Royal Liver Building 

If that was all we had done that day it would have been enough, but they had bigger plans; they had planned a Beatles tour of Liverpool just for me. I saw where they lived, hung out, played music…

I visited Strawberry Field, which was a children’s home operated by the Salvation Army.  I visited Penny Lane, a street in Liverpool, saw the “shelter in the middle of a roundabout”, and the barbershop. It’s a nice street. 

At Strawberry Field

We grabbed supper back at the hotel and I got to bed early.  As I was lying in bed I heard fireworks. I hopped up and looked out the window, and sure enough, there was an impromptu fireworks show. I have no idea who the fireworks were for, so I’ll pretend they were for me.  

Fireworks just for me!  :)

Shaun drove me to the airport this morning. Mogger tagged along. They both walked me all the way to check in, where we said our goodbyes. I hate that part. 

I felt happy there, and as I sit here writing this on my phone during the plane ride home I’m sad.  I’ll miss my friends there, sure, but that’s not only what makes me sad.  I felt lighter there. I felt like myself.  I’m not sure I can put it into words - at least not yet.