Amalthea
Feb 07, 2002, 01:52 PM
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0800beatles/page.cfm?objectid=11599120&method=full
IT'S been a hard day's night but an important piece of Liverpool musical history has finally been saved from demolition.
The stage where John Lennon first met Paul McCartney was due to be ripped apart and lost for ever.
But Liverpool City Council have stepped in at the 11th hour to save the day - and the stage - before the bulldozers tore it to bits.
The wooden stage at St Peter's Church Hall in Woolton had been earmarked for removal since last June when the Church unveiled plans to remodel the building.
An attempt to find buyers was unsuccessful and the stage was set to be ripped up by building contractors this week.
But then the council have reached an agreement with the church authorities to put the stage in storage.
It will be kept in trust at an undisclosed location while talks are held to re-locate the stage in the city.
Council leader, Mike Storey said: "I am delighted we have been able to rescue what is a vital piece of pop music and Beatles memorabilia.
"The days are long gone when the city council turned a blind eye to its heritage by allowing places like the Cavern to be demolished."
The hall hosted pop music history on July 6, 1957 when a young Lennon, who had been playing as one of the Quarrymen was introduced to a fresh faced lad called Paul McCartney.
McCartney had the cheek to tell the older Lennon that his guitar was out of tune, and then showed off his own musical prowess by playing a perfect rendition of "20 Flight Rock" and the rest is history.
The hall has been a mecca for Beatles fans ever since.
Councillor Storey added: "This stage is an important part of The Beatles legend. It is the place where it all began.
"Liverpool without the Beatles would be like Stratford without Shakespeare." The council are in discussions to find a permanent location for the stage.
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"Because there wasn't any reason left to keep it all inside"
- Paul McCartney, 1982
IT'S been a hard day's night but an important piece of Liverpool musical history has finally been saved from demolition.
The stage where John Lennon first met Paul McCartney was due to be ripped apart and lost for ever.
But Liverpool City Council have stepped in at the 11th hour to save the day - and the stage - before the bulldozers tore it to bits.
The wooden stage at St Peter's Church Hall in Woolton had been earmarked for removal since last June when the Church unveiled plans to remodel the building.
An attempt to find buyers was unsuccessful and the stage was set to be ripped up by building contractors this week.
But then the council have reached an agreement with the church authorities to put the stage in storage.
It will be kept in trust at an undisclosed location while talks are held to re-locate the stage in the city.
Council leader, Mike Storey said: "I am delighted we have been able to rescue what is a vital piece of pop music and Beatles memorabilia.
"The days are long gone when the city council turned a blind eye to its heritage by allowing places like the Cavern to be demolished."
The hall hosted pop music history on July 6, 1957 when a young Lennon, who had been playing as one of the Quarrymen was introduced to a fresh faced lad called Paul McCartney.
McCartney had the cheek to tell the older Lennon that his guitar was out of tune, and then showed off his own musical prowess by playing a perfect rendition of "20 Flight Rock" and the rest is history.
The hall has been a mecca for Beatles fans ever since.
Councillor Storey added: "This stage is an important part of The Beatles legend. It is the place where it all began.
"Liverpool without the Beatles would be like Stratford without Shakespeare." The council are in discussions to find a permanent location for the stage.
------------------
"Because there wasn't any reason left to keep it all inside"
- Paul McCartney, 1982