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Children's home made famous by Beatles closes
By Matthew Jones Tue May 31, 8:43 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A British children's home immortalized in the Beatles hit "Strawberry Fields Forever" closes on Tuesday after 69 years of looking after Liverpool's disadvantaged youngsters.
The Salvation Army said all the children had left the Strawberry Field home and childcare provision at the Beaconsfield Road site ended today.
No decision has been made on the fate of the home or its iconic wrought iron gates that became well-known to thousands of Beatles fans after the song was released in 1967.
"A few administrative staff will stay on for the short term to wrap everything up over the next couple of months," a spokeswoman for the Christian charity told Reuters.
Lennon used to visit the home as a boy to play with childhood friends in its grounds. He modified the name to make it flow better for the song.
The period leading up to penning the tune was a time of upheaval for Lennon, who had triggered a backlash when he claimed the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus." His marriage to first wife Cynthia was also going through a difficult patch.
A number of interesting recording techniques were used, including vari-speed and tapes played backwards.
The first recording used an acoustic guitar, which Lennon was not satisfied with. A subsequent track was dubbed with cellos and trumpets.
The song was released as a single with "Penny Lane" and reached number one in the United States but only number two in the British charts.
The Salvation Army said the home was being closed as part of Social Services national policy of seeking smaller, family-based units for childcare compared with large residential institutions.
By Matthew Jones Tue May 31, 8:43 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A British children's home immortalized in the Beatles hit "Strawberry Fields Forever" closes on Tuesday after 69 years of looking after Liverpool's disadvantaged youngsters.
The Salvation Army said all the children had left the Strawberry Field home and childcare provision at the Beaconsfield Road site ended today.
No decision has been made on the fate of the home or its iconic wrought iron gates that became well-known to thousands of Beatles fans after the song was released in 1967.
"A few administrative staff will stay on for the short term to wrap everything up over the next couple of months," a spokeswoman for the Christian charity told Reuters.
Lennon used to visit the home as a boy to play with childhood friends in its grounds. He modified the name to make it flow better for the song.
The period leading up to penning the tune was a time of upheaval for Lennon, who had triggered a backlash when he claimed the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus." His marriage to first wife Cynthia was also going through a difficult patch.
A number of interesting recording techniques were used, including vari-speed and tapes played backwards.
The first recording used an acoustic guitar, which Lennon was not satisfied with. A subsequent track was dubbed with cellos and trumpets.
The song was released as a single with "Penny Lane" and reached number one in the United States but only number two in the British charts.
The Salvation Army said the home was being closed as part of Social Services national policy of seeking smaller, family-based units for childcare compared with large residential institutions.
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