10 Admiral Grove
| 10 Admiral Grove | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Location | Liverpool, UK |
10 Admiral Grove is a property in Dingle, Liverpool, England. It is the house in which Ringo Starr lived for several years before he rose to fame with The Beatles.
On 7th July 1940, Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr) was born at 9 Madryn Street in the Liverpool neighborhood known as the Dingle. His neighborhood was strafed with bombs during World War II. Richard and Elsie Starkey rented a house at 9 Madryn Street for 10 shillings (£0.50) a week, but separated 3 years later and mother and son moved to a smaller, less expensive house in nearby Admiral Grove[1].
Elsie and her son moved to the two up, two down house in Admiral Grove, which remained Ringo's home until 1963 when he became famous. Ringo’s infant school, St Silas Primary School, was yards away from his front door on Pengwern Street. Ringo was a sickly child and due to his many absences from school, was taught to read and write at home. A severe bout of peritonitis led him to spend much of his seventh year at the Royal Children’s Hospital. When Ringo was 13 his mother married a Londoner, Harry Graves. The Starkey’s local pub, The Empress, where Elsie was a barmaid, adjoins Admiral Grove. The pub was immortalized in 1970 by being featured on the front cover of Ringo’s first solo album Sentimental Journey[2]. During "Beatlemania", news clips show Ringo being mobbed by fans on Admiral Grove as he made his way to George Harrison's car
In 2010, it was announced that Ringo’s Madryn Street house was being demolished[3]. Local groups have called for its preservation, and the city has had to shutter due to relic hunters stealing bricks. In The Beatles Anthology, Ringo is quoted, “I don’t remember the inside of our house in Madryn Street.” Although he does remember his grandparents house which was on Madryn Street[4].
Elsie and Harry were persuaded to leave Admiral Grove for a house Ringo had bought them in Gateacre neighborhood of Liverpool. Ringo would pay homage to both his Madryn Street and Admiral Grove addresses in his 2010 song Liverpool 8
References
- ^ Parsons, Donna S; Walking in the Beatles' footsteps; The Des Moines Register. December 5, 2010.
- ^ Ingham, Chris; The rough guide to the Beatles. Publisher: Rough Guides, 2003 ISBN 1843531402
- ^ Tear it down or let it be? Plan to demolish Ringo's humble home sparks row with Beatles fans; Daily Mail Reporter. August 18, 2010
- ^ The Beatles anthology. Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2000. ISBN 0811826848
See also
- 251 Menlove Avenue – childhood home of John Lennon; a National Trust property
- 12 Arnold Grove – birthplace of George Harrison
- 20 Forthlin Road– childhood home of Paul McCartney; another National Trust property