In 1966, the song, “Strawberry Fields Forever” was written by John Lennon and recorded by The Beatles. Situated on the Beaconsfield Road in the suburb of Woolton in Liverpool. Strawberry Field was the name of a Salvation Army Children’s Home around the corner from John Lennon’s childhood home `Mendips` on Menlove Avenue.
Ever since the song was released Beatles fans have visited the famous gates to write graffiti and spray-paint mementos on the outside gate pillars which have to be cleaned periodically. In 2000 the gates were briefly stolen, but a scrap-metal dealer who unknowingly bought them turned them into the police. They were then re-united where they belong as a lasting almost iconic piece of Beatles history.
Paul has always said that the name for Eleanor came from Eleanor Bron, the leading actress in HELP and Rigby from the name of a Wine store in Bristol. It has been pointed out that at St Peters Church in Liverpool, where John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at the Woolton Village Hall garden fete in the afternoon of 6 July 1957 there is a gravestone of a lady called Eleanor Rigby. McCartney has conceded he may have been subconsciously influenced by the name on the gravestone. The real Eleanor Rigby lived a lonely life similar to that of the woman in the song.
This 1930s semi-detached property belonged to Lennon’s Aunt Mimi and her husband George Smith is in Woolton, Liverpool, England. Lennon moved there in July 1946 at the age of five from 9 Newcastle Road, in the nearby suburb of Wavertree. Lennon lived at Mendips after his mother, who was living with her boyfriend, was persuaded that it would be better for his Aunt Mimi and George to take care of him. He remained at Mendips until mid-1963 when he was 22 years old. The Grade 2 Listed building is preserved by the National Trust.
The Casbah Coffee Club is a piece of Beatles history in West Derby, Liverpool, England. The club was started by Mona Best in 1959 in the cellar of the family home as a members-only club for Best’s sons Pete and his younger brother Rory and friends.
The Quarrymen including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown made several appearances at the club and helped decorate the building before making their first appearance. Mona Best asked them to finish painting the club so all four took helped Mona finish painting the walls with spiders, dragons, rainbows and stars. In Cynthia Powell later to become Cynthia Lennon also painted a silhouette of John on the wall which can still be seen today. The group often played at The Casbah as other venues, like The Cavern Club had a jazz-only policy at that time.
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