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The Future of Strawberry Field

6K views 46 replies 12 participants last post by  pjmulholland 
#1 ·
Now the doors have finally closed on the place for the last time I was wondering just what may happen to the site.
Given Yokos track record with Menlove Avenue and helping John Lennon's old school out, I doubt she'll just sit on the sidelines and let it become a hotel or something.

So, what do you the future holds for this important tourist and cultural site in Liverpool?
 
#27 ·
You do mention a lot of good groups there that I did like.
I'd be wary of falling into the "Mad-chester" trap though and assuming a level of importance to the world that just isnt there. They are all great though. :)

Shame we never got that pop museum years ago. Liverpool is one of the few cities that actually could have made a go of such an attraction.
 
#29 ·
Collectively, those groups had a world presence. Frankie Goes to Hollywood hit America for six, the Bunnymen were toe to toe with U2 before they decided they couldn't be arsed, and put U2's work ethic down to their Gipsy heritage. :) Bono and Mac the Mouth still take the occasional swipe at each othe, and long may it continue! :D

Even one hit wonders like Dead or Alive would be played on both sides of the Atlantic.

I forgot the Lightning Seeds, Space, Cast, Dog Spice, Sonia, Atomic Offal and the current shower, including Gomez, the Coral and the Zutons. :cheers:
 
#30 ·
pjmulholland said:
Is that site really big enough for an extension of any meaningful size?

Oh well, thanks anyway Awayo.
Seems as if the extension must have been an earlier plan I'd read about when Warner bought Cavern Walks.

This was in the Echo more recently:

1.2m plan for site of original Cavern: "1.2m plan for site of original Cavern Sep 22 2004


1.2m plan for site of original Cavern Sep 22 2004




By Mark Hookham, Liverpool Echo


PART of the original Cavern Club site in Mathew Street is to become a £1.2m restaurant and office complex.

Work has started to clear an area once partly occupied by the club where the Beatles perfected their live routine.

Workmen are digging a five-metre deep hole in preparation for new foundations.

It is hoped the restaurant, under four floors of offices, will include original brickwork and mementoes from the club.

The work, by Liverpool company Iliad, is expected to be finished by next August.

The original brick-lined Cavern cellar was demolished in 1973, despite protests, to make way for the underground railway line. The site is now a car park.

The new development was welcomed by Beatles tour guide Phil Coppell, who said: "It should never have been knocked down in the first place.

"It was a very short-sighted view by the council. At the time one councillor even said 'what have the Beatles ever done for us?'

"I think it's good they are at last doing something with it."

The current Cavern club, a replica of the original, will remain open for business.

The Beatles played their final Cavern gig - the last of 292 - in 1963.

A spokesman for Iliad was unavailable for comment.
 
#32 ·
Bunnyman said:
I forgot the Lightning Seeds, Space, Cast, Dog Spice, Sonia, Atomic Offal and the current shower, including Gomez, the Coral and the Zutons. :cheers:
Don't forget Dr Phibes and the House of Wax Equations and the incomparable Walking Seeds (reckoned to be Liverpool's best band when I was in my late teens).

Fave number: "Hairy Who", whose chorus went "Hairy Who -------- Who are You?"

Those were the days.

Their seminal "Skullfuck" album can still be found in second hand record stores, if anyone's interested.
 
#33 ·
pjmulholland said:
You do mention a lot of good groups there that I did like.
I'd be wary of falling into the "Mad-chester" trap though and assuming a level of importance to the world that just isnt there. They are all great though. :)

Shame we never got that pop museum years ago. Liverpool is one of the few cities that actually could have made a go of such an attraction.
This is where we need someone to start something up like a Liverpool Pop Museum, we don't have to give up because Sheffield have the implanted Pop museum. A recording studio/record label/live music club and pop music impresario is what we need in this area as others above have said. We do have the Pop wall of fame, so maybe this is the start of a genuine pop history attraction which will grow. The best attractions take years to grow, with a built up tradition over the years, which is what we have with all the bands mentioned.
 
#37 ·
Bunnyman said:
Collectively, those groups had a world presence. Frankie Goes to Hollywood hit America for six, the Bunnymen were toe to toe with U2 before they decided they couldn't be arsed, and put U2's work ethic down to their Gipsy heritage. :) Bono and Mac the Mouth still take the occasional swipe at each othe, and long may it continue! :D

Even one hit wonders like Dead or Alive would be played on both sides of the Atlantic.

I forgot the Lightning Seeds, Space, Cast, Dog Spice, Sonia, Atomic Offal and the current shower, including Gomez, the Coral and the Zutons. :cheers:
Also don't forget China Crisis and Flock of Seagulls
 
#40 ·
Bunnyman said:
I didn't forget them, just deemed them unworthy! :D

Did I include Deaf School? :?
You're still ignoring the 'Seeds, Bunnybollix. And... (Wallasey's Liverpool) the Boo Radleys and Half Man Half Biscuit, the latter maybes my favourite band, miserable sarcastic **** the leadsinger might be.

Saw a great gig given by the rads in 93 in Aberdeen. If anyone's interested, "Wake Up" is the only album from the Shitpop era I was really into. Worth checking out for the the Merseyside accented "Charles Bukowski is Dead": "cords and wigs are sound, Katerina werks at the mtv, etc."

:cheers:
 
#42 ·
Awayo said:
You're still ignoring the 'Seeds, Bunnybollix. And... (Wallasey's Liverpool) the Boo Radleys and Half Man Half Biscuit, the latter maybes my favourite band, miserable sarcastic **** the leadsinger might be.

Saw a great gig given by the rads in 93 in Aberdeen. If anyone's interested, "Wake Up" is the only album from the Shitpop era I was really into. Worth checking out for the the Merseyside accented "Charles Bukowski is Dead": "cords and wigs are sound, Katerina werks at the mtv, etc."

:cheers:
I went to see Echo & the Bunnymen in Aberdeen in the early 80's.

I thought Macca was going to start a riot. He was drinking a can of Tennants Lager, the cans used to have diferent pictures of women on them. He asked the crowd if it was a local brew and they all shoted back 'yes'. Macca replied 'well it's fucking shite'. Luckily most of them laughed. I was up there for 5 years and to say they don't like the English is an understatement.

When Liverpool were due to play Aberdeen in the European Cup at the start of the 80's, all the locals were wearing Tee-shirts with 'Liverpool Who?' printed on them. We eventually won 5 - 0 on agg. 1 - 0 at Pitordrie and 4 -0 at Anfield. After the Anfield win, I got so pissed in the NAAFI, I collapsed outside my accomodation block for nearly six hours lying in the snow. I was lucky that I came round.
 
#43 ·
Good to hear another Merseysider's impressions of living in Aberdeen.

I was there for only a year. I liked the place and didn't get any problems from the local for my English sounding accent. I did hear that Aberdeen could put out a fairly impressive hoolie team if they wanted to. Didn't we have some problems more recently up there with non-official firework celebrations from the Pittodrie mob?

Still, a very grand city, I thought, with great C19th granite architecture all around the city. I liked the locals too. My personal prejudices are focussed at snobs generally and the south of England in general; Scotland I think of having a natural affinity with Liverpool. Bullshit all, maybe I'll admit. I was in a university environment though, that might be different.

One local did say to me once, that its not people from places like Liverpool they had a problem with, but southerners.

Jesus, it was cold up there though. I arrived there in mid September and it started snowing immediately. It was still summer back in Formby. Were you in the RAF Gazzab? I visited Findhorn whilst I was there (that's near a big air base innit?) - strange place: full of American hippies wanting to get money out of you. The cafe sold very heathy fibre-based food that got the whole minibus farting on the way back to Aberdn. That wasn't good...
 
#44 ·
Awayo said:
Good to hear another Merseysider's impressions of living in Aberdeen.

I was there for only a year. I liked the place and didn't get any problems from the local for my English sounding accent. I did hear that Aberdeen could put out a fairly impressive hoolie team if they wanted to. Didn't we have some problems more recently up there with non-official firework celebrations from the Pittodrie mob?
I think the firework 'problem' was actually caused by some scousers firing a firework into the stadium from an area outside during a friendly.



Awayo said:
Still, a very grand city, I thought, with great C19th granite architecture all around the city. I liked the locals too. My personal prejudices are focussed at snobs generally and the south of England in general; Scotland I think of having a natural affinity with Liverpool. Bullshit all, maybe I'll admit. I was in a university environment though, that might be different.
The granite buildings are fantastic. There's an area in Lancaster where it looks identical to parts of Aberdeen.



Awayo said:
One local did say to me once, that its not people from places like Liverpool they had a problem with, but southerners
I must admit, Aberdeen was OK during the day. What I liked was that the pubs were open all day (the pubs shut between 3pm & 5pm in England back then). There was also entertainment in many of the pubs with live bands playing and that was in the afternoon. They also had the first video jukeboxes. I didn't see one in England for a good while after leaving Aberdeen. At night the atmosphere changed and you had to be careful. I came out of one pub in the afternoon with my friends and a local who must have heard my accent stopped me and shook my hand. He was saying he had been to Anfield for the Liverpool v Aberdeen game and he was made to feel very welcome by the scousers in all the pubs he went in.



Awayo said:
Jesus, it was cold up there though. I arrived there in mid September and it started snowing immediately. It was still summer back in Formby. Were you in the RAF Gazzab? I visited Findhorn whilst I was there (that's near a big air base innit?) - strange place: full of American hippies wanting to get money out of you. The cafe sold very heathy fibre-based food that got the whole minibus farting on the way back to Aberdn. That wasn't good...
Yes I was in the RAF. Our base was actually 30 miles further north of Aberdeen near Peterhead. I know what you mean by the weather. When I got posted to my base (RAF Buchan) towards the end of March 79, the bus from Aberdeen to the camp got stuck in a snow drift. I thought what the hell have I done choosing this bloody place to be posted to. We used to say there were two seasons up there - Winter & July.

Findhorn if I remember was a communications place. Most of our comms network was routed through there. I think the bases near by would have been Kinloss & Lossiemouth.
 
#46 ·
pjmulholland said:
This is three years old:

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...fm?objectid=11895028&method=full&siteid=50061

Strawberry Field being empty and this seems like a match made in heaven.
That would be a great idea, if they were to build something on this site to do with the beatles it could be a wacky design similar to the "Cloud" or something like that, and hopefully no nimbys around, (no three graces to disgrace). The only problem then might be access and local residents complaining of increased traffic.

Search link about Strawberry fields closing
 
#47 ·
If I remember rightly that road isnt heavily populated, so I doubt traffic would be a problem. Penny Lane would also be a good candidate for this "world beatle centre" I think there are playing fields there which the council want to sell off for housing at present.
 
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