The legacy and fascination of The Beatles continues in the city - but not many know what it is like to walk in the same footsteps every day as a member of the Fab Four before their days in the spotlight.
The late John Lennon lived in his childhood home, Mendips in Woolton, from 1945 to 1963 and it was there that he wrote some of his earliest work before The Beatles rose to stardom. Living with his aunt Mimi, in later years it was Lennon's widow Yoko Ono who bought the house in March 2002, donating it to the National Trust in order to save it from demolition and property speculators.
The childhood home of Paul McCartney - 13 Forthlin Road - is also owned and managed by the National Trust, with many citing it as the birthplace of The Beatles. And whilst the sites continue to attract thousands upon thousands of tourists and Beatles fans from across the globe year on year, not a lot of people can say they have lived in a house of this historic significance to The Beatles story.
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Back in 2004, author Colin Hall, now 74, "took a random chance" and answered an advertisement to become custodian of Lennon's childhood home on Menlove Avenue. A fan who "bought every record "of the band and also grew up in Woolton, Colin welcomed people from around the world and around the corner into the famous house for almost 20 years.
As part of the Liverpool ECHO's How It Used To Be series, we spoke to Colin, who retired from the role in May this year, about the history of Mendips and what it was like to live in the home of one of his favourite musicians. He told the ECHO: "I was a teenager in the 60s so my interest in The Beatles started by being a young lad growing up in this area.
"You couldn't miss the Merseybeat, the Mersey Sound and of course The Beatles were spearheading that sound, that movement, that musical revolution that was taking place in the city, in the country, the world. It was what we lived and breathed as kids."
Fast-forward to the 00s, Colin Hall was in a unique position to not only visit the house where John's aunt Mimi would have cooked him his tea or stand in the spot where Lennon and McCartney composed 'I Saw Her Standing There' - but to live there. As custodian, Colin's role wasn't only keeping the house in order, but providing visitors with facts and stories not only about John, but that era of the city.
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Colin said: "If you imagine every day you've got people coming round to your house and you want it to look nice, you want to make an impression - so I had to do all of that stuff. I had to also make sure I knew a bit about John Lennon as a boy growing up for 18 years in this property.
"I had to know about the scene in Liverpool as he was growing up, the history of the 50s and 60s - not just about The Beatles but that overall picture. For the first nine or 10 years I lived in the house, I lived in the back bedroom.
"I did everything you would if you owned and lived in a house, but I also presented it every day." For Colin, it was a special time but he also wanted to honour John and his family.
Colin said: "I understood that although I lived in this house it wasn't about me, it was about John and his life there with his aunt Mimi and his uncle George. He also spent time there with Cynthia and baby Julian and he would meet with Paul there and sometimes The Quarrymen.
"It was exciting, I was going to sleep every night in John's house and waking up and having breakfast in the morning room where he had his breakfast. It was quite thrilling but I couldn't just stand there like 'my goodness, this is John Lennon's home.'
"I had to get on and look after the house, it was a practical responsibility and I took that seriously."
Already proud of his Liverpool roots, Colin said it was humbling to meet people who travelled all around world to be at the house and it made him more proud to tell them about the city's history. Colin said the house "would come alive" when visitors arrived, which sometimes included famous faces like Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Debbie Harry and Glen Burke from Blondie, Jackson Browne and Star Wars legend Mark Hamill.
In his time as custodian, Colin said among the things visitors were most interested in was where John's poems and songs were written in the house and his relationship with his mum and Aunt Mimi. Colin said: "You can't beat it, it's just wonderful. People are singing from the same song sheet and they're there for that reason and it brings people together."
Colin, along with his wife Sylvia were awarded Tourism Stars of the Year at the 2017 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards. Sylvia also acted as custodian at Sir Paul McCartney's childhood home, 20 Forthlin Road, between 2010 and 2020. And after the teams at Mendips and Forthlin Road won another award, Colin thought it was the right time to retire this year as he approached 20 years in the job.
Colin had previously worked with former drummer of The Quarrymen Colin Hanton on his memoir, Pre:Fab!, which was made into a feature length documentary. And over a decade ago, Colin worked alongside The Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris for Sony-winning BBC Radio 2 programme The Day John Met Paul - which has now inspired more projects.
The Bob Harris hosted BBC Radio 2 documentary featured interviews conducted by Colin and Colin's latest book, The Song The Beatles Gave Away and now a stage production of the same name is coming to the city. Colin described the production as "a live documentary or radio show brought to life."
Focusing on an aspect of The Beatles story that nobody else has really written about, audience members can hear more about songs written by The Beatles for other recipients, such as Cilla Black and Billy J. Kramer.
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As a student in late 60s and 70s at the University of Liverpool, Colin would spend a lot of time on Hope Street at the Philharmonic pub, Everyman Theatre and the Philharmonic Hall - where The Song The Beatles Gave Away will take place. Colin said: "Liverpool has given me my career, my life, everything.
"I have to pinch myself that I'm doing this. I just can't believe it I'm so excited."
The Songs The Beatles Gave Away at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at 8.00pm on September 29is a full-house. The Songs The Beatles Gave Away is also coming to The Tung Auditorium on May 25, 2024.
Tickets for the Tung Auditorium The Songs The Beatles Gave Away show are now on sale, find out more here. For more details, visit Colin Hall's official website here.
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