Wirral Life June 2017 | Page 11

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE : A CONCERT FOR PEACE
HISTORIC JOHN LENNON MEMORABILIA UNVEILED IN LIVERPOOL

IN BRIEF

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE : A CONCERT FOR PEACE
HISTORIC JOHN LENNON MEMORABILIA UNVEILED IN LIVERPOOL
A fantastic concert will be coming to the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton on Thursday 22nd June to bring together our community in peace , and to raise money for Doctors Without Borders , a charity which sends brave healthcare professionals into areas of conflict to help the world ’ s most vulnerable people .
It takes place exactly 50 years to the week since The Beatles recorded the single ‘ All You Need is Love ’ and features school children from across Wirral along with some special guest artists . School choirs involved are : BHSA Juniors and Seniors , Bidston Avenue Primary , Brookdale Primary , St Bridgets ’ Primary , and Wirral Grammar Boys ’. Special guests will be Merseyside pop legends ‘ The Christians ’, Britain ’ s Got Talent finalists ‘ Richard and Adam ’, local acoustic duo ‘ Two Black Sheep ’, and show choir ‘ Over the Water ’ who are about to feature on BBC1 ’ s new Saturday night show ‘ Pitch Battle ’. Radio City 2 ’ s Claire Simmo will be presenting at the event , bringing the whole show together . The concert will also showcase some fantastic dancers and a string section will be backing many of the acts - it is guaranteed to be a really special occasion . The finale of the concert will be a performance of ‘ All You Need is Love ’ by all the artists and choirs , and will feature a slide show of photographs of people from around the world holding signs displaying the name of the song . This idea has really taken off on social media , and has helped create a real buzz about the concert . Check out the Twitter feed @ concert4peace _ to see all the pictures . Amy Chalmers , the organiser said ‘ In light of recent events in Manchester , it seems that now more than ever , we need to bring communities together in peace , showing that there is far more love and goodwill in the world than there is hate . The young people I work with feel helpless and unable to make a difference and my aim was to encourage them to channel their energy into doing something positive .’
Tickets are available from the venue ’ s box office on 0151 666 0000 or via www . floralpavilion . com .
Fifty years on from the UK release of The Beatles ’ hit Strawberry Fields Forever , the iconic , original red gates from The Salvation Army ’ s children ’ s home have returned to Liverpool and are now on public display at the award-winning ‘ The Beatles Story ’ visitor attraction .
Following the legendary success of the song , written by John Lennon , the gates to the Strawberry Field site in Woolton became a point of pilgrimage for thousands of Beatles fans from around the world , until they were taken into protective storage in 2011 . For the past six years , replica gates have stood at the Beaconsfield Road entrance .
Strawberry Field holds a special place in the history of The Beatles , with John ’ s experiences in and around the children ’ s home providing inspiration for the unforgettable song . He grew up with his aunt Mimi just a stone ’ s throw away from the site , and was said to find peace and refuge in the grounds .
The gates display forms part of the church and charity ’ s fundraising plans to redevelop the iconic Strawberry Field site , which closed in 2005 , as local authorities changed the model of care and children were placed in foster or adoptive care . Earlier this year , The Salvation Army unveiled their inspiring new vision for the site , which will include a training and work placement hub for young people with learning disabilities and a new authentic exhibition on John Lennon ’ s early life around Strawberry Field , as well as a haven for spiritual reflection . The vision weaves together educational , cultural , heritage and spiritual exploration in one bold imaginative plan .
The original gates loaned by The Salvation Army to The Beatles Story , Liverpool , will join a wealth of other Fab Four memorabilia for a limited time only . Visitors that wish to support the redevelopment of the Strawberry Field site will be invited to make a donation . To find out more about the iconic gates visit beatlesstory . com . To find out more about The Salvation Army ’ s inspirational plans for the Strawberry Field site , visit strawberryfieldliverpool . com .
wirrallife . com 11