Strawberry Field, Woolton, Liverpool

In the 1967 Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever John Lennon sings, "Nothing to get hung about, Strawberry Fields forever." As a boy he often climbed into the grounds of Strawberry Field - then a Salvation Army home - to play with the orphans. When the proprietors led John back to his Aunt Mimi’s to complain she told him if he continued to do this they would "hang him". That's where the lyric comes from....no I didn't know either.

Here I am at the famous red gates. They're on Beaconsfield Road in Woolton which is a lovely leafy district - large detached houses, Victorian architecture, mature trees and fields. John lived minutes away and scaled the walls to play with the orphans. In the mature grounds he would have seen the charming imposing mansion which had once been the home of George Warren, a rich shipping magnate. It had been bought by the Salvation Army who ran it as a children's home from 1936 to 2005.

Nowadays the public can enter the grounds of Strawberry Field and go into the building's café, learning/exhibition centre. I didn't bother... I'm an old fossil and not a fan of modern architecture. I wish they’d refurbished the original big mansion but time's arrow flies doesn't it? Somehow I preferred it when you could only stare through the red bars of the gates up the leaf-carpeted drive at a chunk of untouched history. In the 1940's when John was a lad this was a private place but the home held an annual garden party and the red gates opened to locals. He lived around the corner on Menlove Avenue and only had to hear the Salvation Army Band do their first number and he’d be wanting Aunty Mimi to take him round there. When he became a teenager the place became more of an attraction as the children were all girls (boys eventually joined them.)

Sadly the big mansion he saw was knocked down in 1973. There was so much dry rot and sagging brickwork that it was cheaper to demolish than repair it. A purpose-built building was erected to house disadvantaged children. At this time the famous red gates were closed for the very last time and the entrance on the opposite side was used. The driveway off Beaconsfield Road became overgrown and strewn with leaves. By this time the Beatles were world famous and the gates became a mecca for fans. The Salvation Army closed the children's home in 2005 but still used it as a church and prayer centre. Nowadays the Salvation Army are still a fount of goodness and the place is a training centre for young people with special needs. There's a cafe and exhibition centre - suppose I'll have to force myself to go soon. The website is www.strawberyfieldliverpool.com

As I stood outside the red gates I wondered when was the last time John entered these grounds. He was 26 when he recorded the song (saying it was his highest achievement as a member of the Beatles) and 32 when he left England for the last time. The imposing Victorian mansion he knew as a boy still was still there before he left. Though he was living in Surrey did he bring Yoko up to Liverpool to show her his childhood playgrounds? If she was as nosy as me she’d have wanted to see everything, know every detail. He played in the grounds with his friends Pete Shotton, Nigel Whalley and Ivan Vaughan. Did any of them drive round here with John and Yoko? Probably not. Though Strawberry Fields Forever evokes Liverpool John did the first demo of the song in Spain and then developed it in his stockbroker-belt home in Surrey.

I took a little footage (link below) before the perennial Magical Mystery Tour bus pulled up and forty disciples flushed out onto the pavement. The locals must be so glad the council have made a purpose-built pull-in so coaches can stop without blocking the traffic. When I brought my Japanese friend Mamiko to Liverpool for the day she cried when we pulled up at those red gates - they're a long way from Japan. I walked back up Beaconsfield Road to the car and was glad to see there’re still a few large houses set back in their own grounds. Opposite Strawberry Field is Abbots Lee School which was once the home of William Gottager, a rich soap manufacturer (he had a private carriage to the factory in Widnes.) There's still some history there if you look for it.

My friend Mamiko...

John on his bike...

In 2019...

The children's home before it was demolished...