| Mendips, Menlove Avenue | |
|---|---|
 Mendips, the childhood home ofJohn Lennon | |
 Interactive map of Mendips, Menlove Avenue | |
| General information | |
| Type | Semi-detached |
| Location | 251 Menlove Avenue, Liverpool, L25 7SA,Woolton,Liverpool, England |
| Coordinates | 53°22′38″N2°52′53″W / 53.377222°N 2.881389°W /53.377222; -2.881389 |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Website | |
| www | |
251 Menlove Avenue is the childhood home ofthe Beatles'John Lennon. Located in theWoolton suburb ofLiverpool, it was namedMendips after theMendip Hills. The Grade IIlisted building is preserved by theNational Trust.[1]
The 1933-built[1]semi-detached property, which belonged toJohn Lennon's auntMimi and her husbandGeorge Smith, is inWoolton, southLiverpool. Lennon moved there in July 1946 at the age of five from 9 Newcastle Road in the nearby suburb ofWavertree. He lived at Mendips afterhis 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. It was approximately 30 metres north west of this house that Lennon's mother Julia was hit by a car and killed on the evening of 15 July 1958.
In 1965 Mimi sold the property, taking away some of the furnishings and giving away others.[1]
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Despite having purchased20 Forthlin Road, the childhood residence ofPaul McCartney, theNational Trust showed no interest in acquiring Mendips, claiming that, unlike McCartney's home, no Beatles songs had been composed there. However, McCartney recalls at least one song, "I'll Get You", being written there.[2] "Please Please Me" was also written there.[3][4]
During the filming of the American TV filmIn His Life: The John Lennon Story in 2000, the then-owner of the house allowed the film crew inside, and also allowed them to knock down a downstairs wall to make room for the cameras. This resulted in 150 bricks being removed, which were later sold to Beatles fans.[5]
On 7 December 2000, the day before the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's death, 251 Menlove Avenue was adorned with anEnglish Heritageblue plaque, carrying the text "JOHN LENNON 1940–1980 Musician and Songwriter lived here 1945–1963".[6]
Lennon's widowYoko Ono bought the house in March 2002, and donated it to the National Trust in order to save it from further demolition and property speculators.[3] The house was then restored to its 1950s appearance. At a joint press conference with the National Trust in March 2003, when it was announced that the restoration work was finished and the house would be opened to the public, Yoko Ono said: "When John's house came up for sale I wanted to preserve it for the people of Liverpool and John Lennon and Beatles fans all over the world."[7]
Every year on the anniversary of his death, the National Trust leave the bedroom light on in John Lennon's childhood home, all night.[citation needed]
In February 2012, both this house and Paul McCartney's childhood home at20 Forthlin Road wereGrade II listed by English Heritage.[8]
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