251 Menlove Avenue, named Mendips, was the childhood home of John Lennon, singer and songwriter with the Beatles, and is now preserved by the National Trust.
Mendips is a 1930s semi-detached property in Woolton, South Liverpool, England. The house belonged to Lennon's Aunt Mimi and her husband George Smith. The couple took John in at the age of five, after his mother, who was living with her boyfriend, was persuaded that it would be better for Mimi and George to take care of him. He remained at Mendips until mid-1963, when he was 22 years old.
Despite having purchased the childhood residence of Paul McCartney, the National Trust showed no interest in acquiring the Menlove Avenue property, claiming that, unlike McCartney's home, no Beatles' songs had been composed at Mendips. However McCartney recalls at least one song, I'll Get You, being written there.
The property was eventually bought by Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, who then donated it to the National Trust. After much restoration work to return it to a 1950s style, it was opened to the public on 27 March 2003.
Said Ono, "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." (Associated Press, 14 February 2003).
It is a Grade II listed building.
Read more about 251 Menlove Avenue: In Pop Culture
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