Ringo Starr’s Birthplace Saved from Demolition
A three-year battle to preserve Ringo Starr‘s childhood home has resulted in a victory. The small house in the Dingle section of Liverpool had been on a list of houses to be demolished as part of an urban renewal project, but a campaign started by local Beatles fans has saved No. 9 Madryn Street from the bulldozer.
Instead, a £2 million government grant will help renovate the street and the National Trust could possibly add Ringo’s house to the list of Beatles landmarks in Liverpool. Both John Lennon‘s and Paul McCartney‘s childhood homes are run by the National Trust. George Harrison‘s boyhood house is still used as a private residence.
“This is a victory for common sense and for the ordinary people against the might of the town hall,” said Philip Coppell, who led the campaign to save the property. “Beatles fans in Liverpool and all over the world will want to thank the Government and Grant Shapps in particular for helping to save Madryn Street for posterity.”
Starr lived at 9 Madryn Street for the first three years of his life, moving to a nearby house at 10 Admiral Grove when his parents separated. A pub on High Park Road at the intersection of Admiral Grove appeared on the cover of Starr’s 1970 album, ‘Sentimental Journey.’