Rembering John and ‘Uncle George’ at St Peter’s Church, Woolton

With a little help from our friends …

Thousands of Beatles fans travel to St Peter’s Church in Woolton every year from all around the world to see the place where John Lennon and Paul McCartney were introduced on July 6 1957, and also to visit the graves of Eleanor Rigby and John’s uncle, George Toogood Smith.

Sadly, the weather and the passing years have taken their toll on Uncle George’s grave and it has been an aim of the team of volunteers who look after Beatles heritage at the Church to carry out some much-needed restoration work. 

This year, due to the generosity of the visitors to St Peter’s through donations and the purchase of souvenirs, this has been made possible and the newly-refurbished grave will be unveiled in a special ceremony at 2pm on Friday October 9, to commemorate John’s 75^th birthday.

Dr Donna Jackson, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Chester and a member of the congregation at St Peter’s explained:

“There are many reasons why this is an important event.   Most of all, it’s a way for the Beatles fans to say ‘thank you’ to a man who was so important in John’s life.  Before we planned the refurbishment we talked to members of John’s family to explain what we wanted to do; the last thing we wanted was for them to think that we were intruding on a private family issue.  But fortunately, they agreed that this was a lovely gesture on the part of Beatles fans.  Uncle George took care of John for many years, and it’s nice that Beatles fans can now return that favour by taking care of his grave.

The other reason is that the lettering on the grave stone is quite weathered and faded and so it’s hard to spot.  We get a lot of visitors to the Church who are on self-guided tours and, having travelled from around the world, we want them to be able to find what they’re looking for!”

Graham Paisley, Verger at St Peter's commented, "St Peter's Church has been the centre of worship in Woolton Village for nearly two hundred years and has played an important part in the lives of so many people during that time. However we realise that over the past fifty years it has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction because of the world wide interest in the Beatles. We are fortunate that Dr Jackson and a number of the church family have arranged a number of events at St Peter's to make visitors feel both welcome and share a little of the history of the Beatles in Woolton."

Dr Jackson added, “We sell souvenirs at the Church and we often get asked what the money is used for.  We always explain that the money goes towards the maintenance and upkeep of the Church, Church Hall and other aspects of Beatles heritage at St Peter’s, as well as for other Church projects, and so we’re delighted that the fans will be able to see for themselves that their money is being put to good use.”

Donna Jackson with the Quarrymen (L-R: John Duff Lowe,
Rod Davis, Len Garry & Colin Hanton)

The work on the grave is being carried out by Lee at Speke Memorials.  “We contacted Lee because we knew that he had carried out some refurbishment of our Eleanor Rigby’s grave in the past,” Dr Jackson explained.  “We hoped that he might be interested in helping us out again and to our delight he was.  He told us that it was an ‘absolute privilege’ to be asked to carry out the work and promised that it would all be done in time to celebrate John’s life on what would have been his 75^th birthday.”

The Quarrymen performing in St Peter's
Church Hall, May 2015

The unveiling ceremony will take place at 2pm on Friday October 9, and will be performed by the Quarrymen and Andrew Lancel.  The Quarrymen are all still regular visitors to the Church and, of course, were key ‘players’ on the day that John and Paul met.  Actor Andrew Lancel, who recently played Brian Epstein in “Epstein The Play” is not only a huge Beatles fan but also a member of the congregation at St Peter’s.    Top Liverpool Beatles guide, Jackie, Spencer, will give a short talk on the importance of Uncle George to John, and then everyone is invited over to the Church Hall for a party to celebrate John’s life.  There will be live music from Mark Bloor, one of the Cavern’s resident musicians and, as befits any birthday party, tea and a special cake provided by The Cake Rooms, Liverpool.

Andrew Lancel

 Dr Jackson: “We want the Beatles fans to see how we’ve spent their money so we’re hoping that as many as possible can attend the ceremony.  We’re also hoping to have a few surprises on the day too, so it should be a great day and, hopefully, a lovely and fitting way to remember John on his 75^th birthday.”

Jimmy Coburn Pays Tribute to John - #JL75

Used with the permission of Jimmy Coburn

Leading the celebrations for John's 75th birthday at the most famous club in the world, the Cavern Club, is Jimmy Coburn who plays John in the Cavern’s resident Beatles tribute band, the Cavern Club Beatles.  Jimmy, who, like John, is Liverpool born and bred, is widely regarded as one of the best in the role, looking and sounding uncannily like his hero, and sharing the same natural Scouse warmth and wit.

Used with the permission of Jimmy Coburn

Jimmy’s role as John Lennon has taken him around the world.  He and his fellow Cavern Club Beatles celebrated the 50^th anniversary of Help! with a trip to Austria; they recreated the Beatles arrival in America in February 2014; 

c. Alli Devine

He and his brother Tony appeared on Broadway in Let It Be in 2013, and they were chosen by Geoff Emerick, the legendary Beatles recording engineer, for Abbey Road sessions in 2010; and most notably, Jimmy’s first band, the Blue Meanies, remains the only Beatle tribute band to have shared the stage with a Beatle when they appeared alongside Sir Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Empire in 2002 in the tribute concert for George Harrison.  

His recent focus has been John’s solo years and he enthralled audiences at this year’s International Beatle Week with his performance of John’s Imagine album in its entirety.

Used with the permission of Jimmy Coburn

Part of the magic of Jimmy’s performance was recently captured in the Lennon Suite at the Hard Day’s Night hotel.  

The video clip, available on youtube, is beautiful and evocative and sure to send a shiver down the spine of all John’s fans.  John may no longer be with us but, with every frame, we are reminded of his spirit, his talent, his style and his presence.  It is a perfect tribute to an amazing and unforgettable man.

Used with the permission of Jimmy Coburn

Jimmy is celebrating John’s birthday in the way that he loves – by paying tribute to his hero on stage at the Cavern Club.  The concert, unsurprisingly is a sell-out and, with Jimmy Coburn on stage, those who were lucky enough to get a ticket are sure to have a very special night celebrating the life of a very special man.

Used with the permission of Jimmy Coburn

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Help!

The Beatles in Sefton – Film and live music event to celebrate 50 years since the release of the film HELP! 

The Plaza Community Cinema is delighted to welcome The Mersey Beatles back for another fabulous fundraiser event on Saturday 3rd October. 

The Plaza, a registered charity was saved from certain demolition in 1977 by the actions of the local community and is now run as a community cinema and staffed by volunteers ranging in age from 14 – 76 years. 

Over the last seven years the Plaza has undertaken a rolling programme of improvements to the facilities so that we can offer the best possible experience whilst maintaining the ambience of a beautiful art deco cinema.

Improvements include digital signage on the canopy, new seating, digital projectors and new lighting into all the public areas of the building. Our plans for the future include the refurbishment of the original art deco seating in the circle area and renewal of the toilets in the foyer. We are indeed grateful to the Mersey Beatles for offering to give our fundraising ventures a big boost.

Last year The Mersey Beatles played a live tribute to The Beatles to commemorate 50 years since the release of the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ The evening consisted of a special screening of the film and two live sets by the Mersey Beatles. The event was such a success, that even in the middle of the World Cup we managed to draw in an audience in excess of 300.

Steve Howard, Paul in The Mersey Beatles said
“The band had such a great time last year playing to a large audience in a theatre style venue. The acoustics were wonderful and many people were up dancing to the music. We wanted to repeat the experience and also offer our support for a much loved local charity.”

This year the community cinema will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film ‘HELP!’ in the company of the Mersey Beatles. A special screening of HELP! will be accompanied by music from other Beatle films including Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow submarine. The second set will celebrate later Beatle music, coupled with a costume change, will feature numbers from Abbey Road, Sgt. Peppers and some solo tracks, heralding the start of the band needing to develop as individuals.

A special photographic souvenir programme drawing upon the Beatles links with Sefton will be available on the night. The brochure researched and photographed by Andy Joynson will show how The Beatles cut their teeth at numerous local venues throughout Sefton, ten of these venues, including The Lathom, and Southport Arts Centre, are featured in the brochure.

The idea for the unique combination of film and live shows was the brainchild of Mersey Beatles fans Andy Joynson, Rob Fyffe and Luana Michaels. Following a showing of the film ‘HELP!” in 2013, the three fans approached The Mersey Beatles, and as they say, the rest is history.

Andy Joynson, one of the three fans and event organiser said:

“I thoroughly enjoyed the movie ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and the Mersey Beatles evening last year as well as helping to promote and organise the event. Having The Mersey Beatles again at the cinema is a great and fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles movie ‘HELP!’

Christine Physick arts director at Plaza Community Cinema said

“I would like to thank the Mersey Beatles for giving our fundraiser a massive boost. As a community cinema we are always keen to respond to community initiatives, and this was such an exciting idea we were delighted to take up the offer of help from The Mersey Beatles.

Our fundraiser, ‘A Seat in the Circle’ requires the cinema to raise £85,000 to restore the original balcony seats to their former glory. We are confident that with the help of The Mersey Beatles we can defray some of the costs incurred.”

This event will take place on Saturday 3rd October at 7.00pm. Doors open from 6.30pm.

Tickets priced at £10 include the film screening and two live sets by the band, and represents amazing value for money. Tickets are available now from the Plaza box office.

For more information please contact Christine Physick on 0151 928 1530 or via;, Christine@plazacinema.org.uk

An Opportunity to Obtain a Unique Piece of Beatles History!

From Thursday August 27 until Tuesday September 1, St Peter’s Church Hall in Woolton will open its doors to welcome the thousands of Beatles fans who flock to Liverpool every year for International Beatle Week.  However, even those fans that are unable to make the trip to Liverpool this year have the chance to own some very special items of memorabilia from the Church.

During recent repairs to the roof of the Church Hall, where Paul McCartney auditioned for John Lennon on July 6 1957, it was discovered that the weather vane, which had sat atop the hall since the mid nineteenth-century, was no longer safe and the sad decision was taken to remove it.  As part of the ongoing fundraising efforts at St Peter’s, the weather vane is being offered for sale at the Beatles Auction due to take place on Saturday August 29 at LIPA, Sir Paul McCartney’s ‘fame’ school. 

Dr Donna Jackson, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Chester and a member of the congregation at St Peter’s, said: “For some, the weather vane is a battered piece of old metal, but really it is a unique piece of history.  It has witnessed the transformation of Woolton from a village to a thriving community within Liverpool; it stood proud during the First World War and survived Hitler’s bombing raids on Liverpool during World War II.  And, of course, it was there when a young man entered St Peter’s on July 6, 1957, to audition to join a local band.  Touching the twisted metal gives us a chance to touch all that history.  I’d love to own it but I think it will far exceed my budget.  For the sake of the Church, I hope it does!”

The weather vane from St Peter's
Church Hall

As well as the weather vane, the Church has entered a Hymnal and Prayer Book in the auction.  These old books are no longer used in the Church, which is why they have been made available for sale.  What should interest Beatles fans is that they were used at St Peter’s during the 1950s when both Mimi and John attended the Church.  

Dr Jackson added: “Although St Peter’s has about 50 of these books for sale, they are only available to those people who can buy them in person at the Church.  By putting one of each in the auction, we are giving overseas Beatles fans, who are able to place absentee bids for the auction, a chance to own these special items.”

For more information about the Beatles Auction, including details of the other amazing items that are for sale as well as how to place an absentee bid, visit: http://www.beatlesauction.co.uk/

For those fans lucky enough to be in Liverpool during International Beatle Week, the Church Hall, where Paul McCartney auditioned to join the Quarrymen on July 6 1957, will be open to the public at the following times:

Thursday August 27 – 11am to 5pm

Friday August 28 – 10am to 4pm

Saturday August 29 – 11am to 5pm

Sunday August 30 – CLOSED

Monday August 31 – 10am to 5pm

Tuesday September 1 – 10am to 5pm

Art and cake from The
Cake Rooms Liverpool

Entry to the hall is FREE, and some of the current members of the congregation who were at the Church Fete on July 6, 1957, will be in the hall during the week to share their memories of that historic day.  Refreshments will be available, and from Thursday to Saturday, will include cakes from The Cake Rooms Liverpool, whose amazing “edible works of art” really do taste as good as they look. 

There will also be the opportunity to purchase exclusive souvenirs, including t-shirts, key-rings, commemorative posters, mugs and postcards, as well as the Hymnals and Prayer Books used during the 1950s.  These items are only available at the Church and cannot be purchased online. 

In addition to all this, on Friday August 28, the Hall is proud to host a book signing by Marie Darwin and Tom Donohue, the author and illustrator of a new children’s book entitled “What Did Grandad Paul Do When He Was Little?”  For more information visit: http://www.beatlesliverpoolandmore.com/

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY

                      

Clapperboard UK in association with Apple Corp UK, Liverpool Film Office, National Museums Liverpool Presents

THE LIVERPOOL CHARITY SCREENING OF

FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY

In commemoration of the film’s 50^th anniversary

Sponsored by Castlewood Property

With Q & A with Liverpool legend Gerry Marsden and BBC Radio Merseyside’s Spencer Leigh

Thursday 9 July at 7pm, The Global City Theatre in Museum of Liverpool,

Mann Island.

________________________________________________________________

Clapperboard UK is pleased to announce a special charity screening to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the classic Liverpool music film, FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY.

The event will take place on Thursday 9^th July in collaboration with Apple Corp UK, the Liverpool Film Office, National Museums Liverpool at the Global City Theatre in the Museum of Liverpool.

The evening, sponsored by Castlewood Property, will begin with Merseybeat icon Gerry Marsden participating in an audience question and answer session with Radio Merseyside’s Spencer Leigh followed by a screening of the classic black and white film FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY.

Gerry will answer a range of questions on his long and colourful musical career from one of the leading men of the Merseybeat scene to his status today as a well-known TV and music personality. The film, Directed by Jeremy Summers stars ‘Gerry and the Pacemakers’ Gerry and Fred Marsden, Les McGuire, and Les "Chad" Chadwick who portray themselves in a romp through the early 1960's Liverpool Beat Scene. Art students by day and musicians by night the boy's big break comes by winning a local talent contest. But first, they must retrieve their instruments which have been mistakenly carried to the airport.

Les Chadwick, Gerry Marsden, Les Maguire and Fred Marsden:
Gerry and the Pacemakers

Gerry Marsden said... I am delighted that Ferry Cross the Mersey is being shown here in Museum of Liverpool to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its release, to raise much needed funds for local charity Clapperboard Youth project. 

Gerry Marsden

Bernard Byrne from Castlewood Property said... Liverpool has a special place in my heart and the Museum of Liverpool is fitting for the screening as it proudly exhibit Gerry's first guitar in their Wondrous Place gallery.  It’s also a pleasure for me to sponsor such a worthy charity to support the local work of Clapperboard.

Clapperboard UK Ltd is a non-profit making charitable organisation and has worked successfully with more than two thousand young people between the ages of 7-22 across the North West bringing creativity into their lives.

Clapperboard aims to encourage young people to express them-selves through the medium of film and help them seek career opportunities in the creative industries that might not otherwise be available to them.  The project has now run for ten years and has received many Festival awards (national and international) and acclaims from some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including Liverpool Echo’s prestigious Pride of Merseyside Award for Best Community Event 2014. 

Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture Tourism and Events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: "Clapperboard is a hugely important initiative and through their exciting projects, they inspire young people to get creative and get involved with every stage of the film production process.  It's important that events like this screening take place to raise funds and ensure this important work with young film-makers continues."

   

LISTING INFORMATION

FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY

Thursday 9 July, 7pm

Museum of Liverpool – Global City Theatre, Mann Island, Liverpool

Performance time: 7.00pm

Tickets: £15, (Inc complimentary post reception at Ma Boyle’s Alehouse & Eatery, The Tower Building, The Strand, Liverpool L3 1LG )

Contact:  info@clapperboarduk.com  or 07973 783 140

Income raised from this Clapperboard Presents… fundraiser will go directly toward the Clapperboard Youth Project. 

Clapperboard Presents...is an excellent opportunity for new and established media and creative players to network ideas and support for the benefit of all.  Income raised from Clapperboard Presents...will go towards the charitable Clapperboard Youth Project.  A donation of £15 per ticket is suggested which includes a complimentary post-reception at Ma Boyles (behind Strand) after the screening.  Tickets direct from Clapperboard UK Ltd, info@clapperboarduk.com tel. 07973 783 140.   Further information: www.clapperboarduk.com

Ferry Cross the Mersey is owned by Apple Corp. 

You can now make a donation to Clapperboard UK Ltd by using Just Text Giving.  To make a donation text 70070 and quote CBUK01 with the amount you wish to donate and make a difference today.  Donation will be taken from your mobile phone bill.  Clapperboard UK thanks you in advance for all donations. 

Sponsorship in kind from: Forwardculture, EventSinc, Bill Elms Associates, Ma Boyles, Customs Print.

For more information on Clapperboard UK visit www.clapperboarduk.com

Please note: There has been an edit to the original film’s ending to remove Jimmy Savile who made a brief guest appearance as himself.