BEATLES CHILDHOOD HOME GETS A FACELIFT

The home where George Harrison,grew up is blooming with summer flowers after local organisations joined forces to give the home and surrounding area a facelift.

George’s childhood home, 25 Upton Green in Speke, received special treatment last week after staff from South Liverpool Homes (SLH), Liverpool City Council’s Neighbourhood Team and McDonald’s Restaurants worked tirelessly to plant flowers around the green which is a popular tourist spot for Beatles’ fans. All 22 homes on the green were given planters filled with begonias and pansies to put in the front of their homes as part of McDonald’s ‘Love where you live’ campaign. They also painted railings and BT boxes in the green that were in need of some attention.

Speke was one of five Beatles-related areas to benefit from the clean-up to celebrate Beatles day. Other locations included John Lennon Drive in Kensington, the George Harrison Garden in Speke, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields in Woolton, and locations around the City Centre.

George Harrison moved to the SLH home at 25 Upton Green in 1949 when he was six years old. Back then, it was a brand new council house for George’s family where he lived until he became famous in 1965. It was then transferred to SLH in 1999 as part of the stock transfer.

Over 50 volunteers also donned gloves and used litter pickers to clean up a derelict site to make way for a new community growing scheme on South Parade in Speke. The scheme, which will be supported by SLH, will give local residents the opportunity to grow their own food as well as providing training and education opportunities for local young people. It is hoped that it will be ready for the community to use by spring 2014.

Julie Fadden, Chief Executive of South Liverpool Homes, said “It’s really great to see organisations working together to take pride in our local community. The little touches in Upton Green has had an immediate impact and given the estate a new lease of life. Clean-up days like this are a great example of what can be achieved if we all work together.”