Tony with his Sister and Brother playing their Beatles Guitars and Drums
Like many, 40 years ago today, the morning started in horror and disbelief. Some of my earliest childhood memories involved listening to Lennon and the Fab Four.
I can't saviour the smell of bacon frying in the pan without thinking back to hearing 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' being played on a tiny blue transistor radio my mother kept in the kitchen. Happy memories indeed of my mum, also a Beatles fan and myself bonding over a bacon sarnie.
It was my mum who woke me with the dreadful news, half asleep I dismissed it, then with a start jumped out of bed still dazed and confused to grasp the enormity of what had happened overnight on a street far away in New York.
People say they will always remember where they were when Kennedy died, such was the impact of his death. The same applied to Lennon for children of the 50s and 60s.
When, as a twelve-year-old, my younger sister, in a fit of pique, gave all our Beatles singles to a neighbour, something that, to this day remains unforgiven, it was like losing a childhood friend and though replaced, many times, it's the memory of those early singles stacked up on the old record that is always guaranteed to make me happy, however bad a day I'd been having.
I was fortunate on a birthday milestone ( thanks to my wife ) spend a weekend in Liverpool experiencing the very best of Beatle weekends. A visit to Lennon's childhood home and witnessing Lennon artwork painted on the walls of the Casbah Coffee Club almost brought me to tears and coincided with the unveiling by Julian and Cynthia of the John Lennon Peace Monument on what would have been his 70th birthday.
Lennon, and The Beatles have been and will always be an important part of my life both musically but also spiritually and whilst Lennon had many flaws, as do we all, his genius will continue to inspire for generations to come.
RIP John, we miss you.
Taken on my trip to Liverpool
Taken on my trip to The Cavern,Liverpool.
All Photos and Words Copyright Tony Woolway for KCL.