The Scotsman

Sir Paul Mccartney’s childhood home to inspire a new generation of musicians

- By ELEANOR BARLOW newsdeskts@scotsman.com

It is the home where Sir Paul Mccartney and John Lennon’s song-writing partnershi­p began.

The terraced house on Forthlin Road in Allerton, Liverpool, now owned by the National Trust, was the childhood home of Sir Paul, and is now set to open its doors to a new generation of aspiring musicians.

Its living room was described by one Beatles historian as “the crucible” of the Lennon-mccartney partnershi­p, where hits including I Saw Her Standing There and Love Me Do were written.

To mark Sir Paul’s 80 th birthday in June, and the 60 th anniversar­y of the beatles’ de but single Love Me Do in October, the National trust is launching the Forthlin Sessions, which will give unsigned artists the chance to visit, write and play music in the terraced house.

Sir Paul’s younger brother, Mike Mccartney, who will help to choose the selected musicians, said: “I hope some of the magic rubs off on them.”

The National Trust took over the property 30 years ago and used pictures taken by photograph­er mike to return it to exactly the way it looked when The Beatles’ star grew up there, complete with mismatched wallpaper and patched carpet.

Mike mccart neysaid:“i was 12 when my mum died and my dad had to bring up two boys, so the house was in a sorry state.

“If you had a bath you were joined by the ceiling, because all the paint would flake down.

“The armchair springs stuck out and ripped our clothes to shreds.”

Despite the dec or, he described the family’s former home as a “special house”, where their father gave the boys instrument­s because he saw music as a way out of poverty.

Mike mccartney, whowen ton to perform in The Scaffold, was given a drum kit, which came “off the back of a lorry”, and a banjo while Sir Paul was given a guitar and began inviting his friend, Lennon, round to create music.

He said: “You could hear them crafting the songs. I would be in another room and would hear them composing. Our kid would play music all round the house, including in the bathroom.”

He describes the house as proof that “from nothing, you can create something special”.

He said: “I’m proud of my family and the outcome of that house for all of us. If that can be shared with anybody, particular­lyyoung people, particular­ly if they have got nothing and they come there and see they can do something from nothing like we did, the ni will be even proud er .”

Beatles historian Colin Hall said Sir Paul would skip school and come back to the house with Lennon to compose while his father was at work.

He said: “I think the living room at forth lin road is the crucible where the L en non-mc cart ney song-writing partnershi­p was nurtured and began. That’s where it took wings.”

Any unsigned, Uk-based music artist over the age of 18 will be able to apply for the forth lin Sessions.

National Trust Director General Hilary Mcgrady said: “Our places don’t have to be stuck in time; they’ re here to keeps parking creativity, dreams, and new ideas.”

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 ?? ?? ↑ Above: The living room at Forthlin Road has been described as “the crucible where the Lennon-mccartney song-writing partnershi­p was nurtured and began”. Below: Sir Paul playing his guitar in the back garden. Left: Sir Paul’s brother, Mike Mccartney
↑ Above: The living room at Forthlin Road has been described as “the crucible where the Lennon-mccartney song-writing partnershi­p was nurtured and began”. Below: Sir Paul playing his guitar in the back garden. Left: Sir Paul’s brother, Mike Mccartney

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