Magical Mystery Tour

ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL (Liverpool Cathedral), St. James Road. In 1953 PAUL auditioned here for a place in the choir but was rejected because his singing voice 'was not good enough'. He returned June 28th, 1991 for the world premiere the 'Liverpool Oratorio' he had written in collobaration with CARL DAVIES to celebrate the 150th anniversary of of The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hope Street was the address of LIVERPOOL COLLEGE OF ART. You see it to the left. It was JOHN LENNON's school 1957-1960. John was not a succesful student. But this was the place where he met his best friend, the talented artist STU SUTCLIFFE - later a member of The Beatles. Here he also met his future wife CYNTHIA POWELL.

A little further on the lefthand side of Mount Street - just after Art College, you see the Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts - LIPA - PAUL McCARTNEY's and GEORGE HARRISON's school 1953-59. This photo explaines how history was made! In the basement of John's school was the college canteen. Here at lunchtime, on the stage at the back, John and Stu joined by Paul and George from the school NEXT DOOR, had fish and chips and practiced MUSIC.

9 MADRYN STREET in The Dingle was RINGO STARR's birthplace on 7 July 1940 and home 1940-1946. Ringo was only three when his mother ELSIE and father RICHARD split up, leaving Ringo often with Grandma and Grandad Starkey, who lived further down the street at No 59.

	High Park Street is the place of THE EMPRESS pub. Yes, it's the same as you can see on RINGO's album SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY. Look here below.
The Empress

PENNY LANE. JOHN has explained that when he wrote this song with PAUL, he was re-living his childhood. He lived in Newcastle Road, just around the corner from Penny Lane, for the first five years of his life. Daily for another six years he walked down Penny Lane to and from school. We will soon visit his old school and birth-place. We enter...

DOVEDALE INFANT & JUNIOR SCHOOL, Dovedale Road. Both John and George attended this school up until the age of 11, but neither knew each other. However George's older brother, Pete, was in John's class.

The school above is the one pictured in Beatles Liverpool guide books. But doesn't it look too young? We walk a little further along the road...

DOVEDALE COUNTY JUNIOR SCHOOL. Looking more like the right age. The question is: Is this actually the building of John's and George's school up until the age of 11? I would be very thankful if someone with insight, could answer this question. Please send me an e-mail.

PENNY LANE SHOPS. During the filming of the 'Free As A Bird' video many Liverpool landmarks were used. When the bird in the video flies over the gates of Strawberyy Field, its next location is Penny Lane, where children run across the road holding hands, a man unloads eggs, a nurse sells poppies and a banker leaves the barber's shop. There is a fire engine and, in a shop window, a birthday cake with "64" on it. For these shots, most of these shop windows were redecorated for the sequence. Vintage cars, vans and a bus were also used to dress the set to re-create Penny Lane in the 1950's.

"Behind the shelter in the middle of the ROUNDABOUT, the pretty nurse is selling puppies from a tray..."

"On the corner is a BANKER with a motorcar,
The little children laugh at him behind his back.
And the BANKER never wears a mac
In the pouring rain - very strange..."

"In PENNY LANE there is a BARBER showing photographs of ev'ry head he's had the pleasure to know..."

9 NEWCASTLE ROAD, just around the corner from Penny Lane. This is John's first home, where he lived with his mother Julia, his father Alfred and his grandparents, George & Annie Stanley. Father Alfred returned to sea soon after John's birth and with the confusion of wartime lost contact with home for almost two years. Julia grew tired of waiting for him and this led to the break-up of their marriage. By 1944 young John had gone to live with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George in Menlove Avenue.
After the war, Julia lived here with her new man, John Dykins. In 1947 their daughter Julia was born. And in 1949 their second daughter Jaqueline was born. That means, they are both John's half-sisters.
Recently Julia published her book Julia Baird: 'Imagine this - growing up with my brother John Lennon.' (Got it signed at The Adelphi, but haven't got time to read it yet. You know, this website...)

NUMBER 9 played a fascinating part in John's life. He was born on 9 October 1940. His first home was at 9 Newcastle Road. And he died on 9 December 1980.


12 Arnold Grove

12 ARNOLD GROVE in Wavertree was GEORGE HARRISON's birthplace on 24 February 1943 and home 1943-1950. He lived here with his sister LOUISE, brothers HAROLD and PETER, mother LOUISE and father HAROLD.

197 QUEEN'S DRIVE was BRIAN EPSTEIN's home. JOHN, who lived not too far away from here, was a regular visitor, sitting with BRIAN in the morning room as they planned The Beatles' career.


St Peter's Church Hall

ST PETER'S CHURCH HALL. On 6th July 1957 THE QUARRY MEN played at the village fete, held in the field behind St Peter's church. The 15 years old PAUL had cycled there with his class-mate IVAN VAUGHN, and saw The Quarry Men for the first time performing THE DELL-VIKINGS' 'Come Go With Me' and other hits. Afterwards, in THE CHURCH HALL across the road, PAUL and JOHN were introduced by IVAN, their mutual friend. PAUL impressed JOHN with his guitar playing and singing 'Twenty Flight Rock'. (He knew all the worlds!) Later PAUL was eventually invited to join The Quarry Men. But it wasn't until 18th October 1957 that PAUL made his debut with The Quarry Men. The rest is history...

STRAWBERRY FIELD, Beaconsfield Road, was opened as a Salvation Army Children's Home in 1936. Initially a large Victorian mansion, but demolished in the late 60's. As a young boy JOHN LENNON would come here with his AUNT MIMI to join in the fun of the Summer Fete. A place in his heart! John made a donation for the new annex, opened in 1979.


	Edwina and me

251 MENLOVE AVENUE, called 'MENDIPS', was JOHN LENNON's home 1945-1963. He lived here with AUNT MIMI and UNCLE GEORGE, after his mother JULIA had left him here for his auntie to bring up. A neat semi-detached suburban home. John did not come from the slums of Liverpool! On the second floor over the entrance, you can see the window of his bedroom. There, he and Paul wrote 'Please Please Me', 'I'll Get You', 'I Call Your Name' and 'Hello Little Girl'.

"In PENNY LANE there is a FIREMAN with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his FIRE ENGINE clean, it's a clean machine..."

WOOLWORTH, Penny Lane. As an art student CYNTHIA (later JOHN's mother) worked here at the summer holidays serving behind the cosmetics counter.

"PENNY LANE is in my ears and in my eyes,
There beneath the BLUE SUBURBAN SKIES...
PENNY LANE!"