Theres John’s home ‘Mendips’ where he lived with his Aunt Mimi from age 5 until age 22. Until age 9 he would see and travel on the trams just outside his house trundling along the central reservation. In October 1949 the last tram to Woolton ended.
Nearby on Beaconsfield Road is the Childrens Home .. ‘Strawberry Field’ ran by the Salvation Army since 1936. It was in the grounds a young John would play with ‘Outlaw’ friends Pete Shotton, Nigel Whaley and Ivan Vaughan. They would meet up in Vale Road next to the old derelict cottages and climb over the sandstone wall into the wooded grounds making sure they were out of site of the grounds caretaker.
‘Strawberry Field’ held a special place in John’s mind from an early age when upon hearing the sound of the brass band at the annual summer fete would tug at Aunt Mimi’s sleeve saying ‘Come on Mimi, its time to go to the fete’.
Through his bedroom window and just a few hundred yards along Menlove avenue John could see ‘Woolton Vale Reformatory’ for teenage boys and perhaps where a teenage John would reflect upon the mis spent lives of its residents.
At the top of Beaconsfield Road on Woolton Hill you meet Church Road and St Peters Church.
On 6th July 1957 a summer fete was being held in a field near the church when a curious 15 year old Paul McCartney watched ‘The Quarrymen’ play on an improvised stage. Later the group played again at an evening performance in the Church Hall. History was made when the young Paul approached the 16 yr old John Lennon and asked if he could play an Eddie Cochran song ‘Twenty Flight Rock’. From then on propelling the pair onto a musical odyssey.