Strawberry Field celebrates John Lennon's birthday with new memorabilia in its exhibition

Strawberry Field Liverpool has added five new items to its visitor exhibition, each providing new insight into John Lennon's youth and The Beatles’ impact on the local area. They are a prayer book and a page of schoolwork that belonged to John, a café docket signed by Paul McCartney, Look Magazine and a sales log from The Musical Box Record Shop. Together they offer fresh context on John's childhood, the Beatles' lives in Woolton and the musical landscape of the 1960s.

John Lennon's prayer book

Believed to be a Confirmation gift from his Aunt Mimi on his 8th birthday in 1948, the prayer book carries handwritten markings and scribbles that give a touching glimpse of the small boy who became one of the world's most famous musicians.

It is on loan from Jean Catharell and Alister and Samantha Trew.

John Lennon's exercise book

In Spring 1954, Roy Horsford taught a class that included John during his teaching practice at Quarry Bank High School. He kept a page of John's English work, on which John had written his full name: John Winston Lennon.

Roy wanted it entrusted to someone who would appreciate its importance. His cousin, Ruth McCann, passed it to David Bedford, who has loaned it to Strawberry Field with Roy and Ruth's blessing.

Paul McCartney's signed café docket

The Wright family ran the café in Calderstones Park during the 1960s. In 1967, Marie Wright was working there when Paul McCartney came in with Jane Asher and his dog, Martha. When Paul went to pay, Marie asked for his signature and grabbed the first thing to hand: a café sales docket. Paul said he had never filled out a bill before and asked if he could complete this one. He wrote:

2 tea
Matches – 10 shillings

He then signed it. Marie also asked Jane Asher to sign, and Jane replied, "No one ever asks me to sign anything." Few items show McCartney and Asher together, so this is a rare piece.

It is on loan from the Wright family.

Sales logs from The Musical Box Record Shop

In the 1960s, before the world went digital, shops would keep paper records of their daily sales. The sales logs would then be used to inform the UK charts. This is a sales log from The Musical Box Record Shop, the oldest record shop in England. 

It is on loan from the Quinn family.

Look Magazine

On December 13 1966, Look Magazine publish an in-depth article about John Lennon and his time in Almeria. He was filming 'How I Won The War', and it was in his down time he began to pen 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.

Sue Harvey, Commercial Manager at Strawberry Field said, “We know that John spent much of his youth playing in the gardens at Strawberry Field, so having these items from his childhood in our exhibition is really special. They give us another look into the young mind of one of the world’s greatest songwriters who was so clearly shaped by the world around him. We are so grateful to those who have loaned us these pieces, as they help us fund Strawberry Field’s work within the community.”

The five new pieces of memorabilia can be seen on display in Strawberry Field’s visitor exhibition, where proceeds from ticket sales will help fund it’s Steps to Work programme, supporting young adults facing barriers to employment into paid work.