Father’s gift to daughter donated to Beatles Story
A DAD spent £100,000 on a ‘rare’ 21st birthday present for his daughter.
Alan Murphy bought a notebook containing Paul McCartney ‘s handwritten lyrics for Hey Jude when it was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
The businessman, who made millions running AM Paper toilet roll factory in Skelmersdale, made the winning bid for his daughter Davinia Taylor.
Davinia, who was a former Hollyoaks actress, was gifted the handwritten lyrics for her 21st birthday.
Now 44 years old, Davinia has donated the notebook to Liverpool’s Beatles Story museum in Albert
Dock, which is dedicated to the band.
The notebook previously belonged to the Fab Four’s bodyguard and PA Mal Evans and was compiled between 1967 and 1968.
It also includes a part-lyric for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, recording notes by George Harrison for All You Need Is Love and lyrics for a number of other songs.
The museum, in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, has insured the piece for more than £1million.
Speaking about the purchase, Davinia said: “As a family we are absolutely delighted to be able to share this treasure worldwide.
“As a scouser and huge Beatles fan, my dad felt it was so important for the notebook to be available in his home town of Liverpool and for everyone to enjoy these precious insights into the world’s best band.
“Round about my birthday, Sotheby’s had a big auction and my dad was at home in Wigan, a few bottles of wine in and started bidding against an American for the Hey Jude lyrics.
“He won - he said: ‘It’s not going to America, it’s staying in Liverpool’.”
She added: “I think he wanted to pay no more than £5,000, but a bit of vino and that Scouse swagger and I think it went for something crazy like £100,000.”
The former actress said she was “over the moon” to put the notebook, which had been stored in a safe, on display to the public.
Diane Glover, marketing manager for The Beatles Story, said: “It’s not just Mal Evans’ writing that’s in there, it is actually John, Paul George and Ringo who have written in there as well.
“It’s got poetry, scribblings, doodles, itineraries and, more importantly, handwritten lyrics.”