(post)mark of success

Finally, after all these years, the Fab Four have been given an accolade by the Royal Mail.

I suppose it's only fair when you consider the amount of money they must have made for the postal service over the years, with fan club postage, appeals for signed photographs, and memorabilia sent all over the world.
They held the launch party in the Cavern Club section of the Beatles Story down at the Albert Dock, complete with a session by the (as always excellent) Mersey Beatles.
They didn't, however, play Please Mr Postman while I was there.
Lord Mayor Joan Lang and council leader Warren Bradley (was he born the year Sgt Pepper was released? I suspect he may have been) were among those spotted tapping their toes.
In fact, Joan Lang made me laugh.
After being helped up on to the Cavern 'stage' she admitted in a regretful voice: "I never went to the Cavern because I was far too old."
But she did reveal her son was at the 'Inny' and came home one day to proudly announce he had got Paul McCartney's old desk - and discovered naughty Macca had scrawled his name on it.
There has already been massive interest in the Beatles stamps from across the world. You can't buy publicity like that.
Well, actually you can, but there wouldn't be much left in the Capital of Culture budget once you had.
Now all we need to do is persuade the Royal Mail that Liverpool deserves its own set of special Capital of Culture stamps in 12 months time.

By the by, we mustn't forget Capital of Culture IS still a year away.
This year is all about celebrating Liverpool's birthday and the slew of anniversaries it is coinciding with.
Here at the Echo, invitations are coming in almost daily for some really special events.
On Thursday, author Andrea Levy (who by her own admission is a big Beatles fan) is in Liverpool to launch the national Small Island Read event.
And next Tuesday not only is there the party to mark the Cavern Club's 50th anniversary, but St George's Hall will be lit by 800 candles in a similar labyrinth to the magical maze created at Liverpool Cathedral a couple of years ago.