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!”
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| 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
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| 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/
