BEATLE fans looking for an extra special bit of memorabilia could find themselves getting into the grove after it was announced that Ringo Starr's childhood Liverpool home is to go under the hammer.
Number 10 Admiral Grove, in the Dingle, where the teddy boy drummer lived until he was 21, is up for auction after its tenant of 37 years died last year.
Owner social landlord Plus Dane will be selling the two-up-two-down to the highest bidder at a special March auction at Liverpool's world famous Cavern Club.
It has a guide price of £55,000, but auctioneers Countrywide are hoping it might attract investors with an interest in the Fab Four.
According Plus Dane, which says profits raised will be ploughed back into its housing stock in the area, the Victorian terrace was a regular haunt for the Beatles and Cilla Black in their younger days. If that wasn't enticement enough, it also points to The Empress pub, at the end of the street, which graced the cover of Ringo’s first solo album, Sentimental Journey, in 1970.
A number of restrictions have been placed on the sale of the house so it cannot become a tourist attraction or museum.
Admiral Grove is still a stopping off point for coachloads of day trippers, as is Ringo's nearby birthplace at Madryn Street, one of the controversial Welsh Streets saved from demolition after a long stand off between its owners, also Plus Dane, heritage campaigners and Liverpool City Council.
Margaret Gorse, the tenant who had lived at 10 Admiral Grove since 1978, was always happy to invite people in to have a look inside the house until her death last year, says the housing association.
Claire Griffiths, Plus Dane’s Executive Director of Property, said: “Plus Dane has considered all of the options in relation to this property following the sad death of Margaret who was a well-respected figure in the community. We felt it would be most beneficial to the community for the property to be sold as any profits made will be reinvested back into Plus Dane homes in the L8 area.”
Sentimental alehouse: The Empress pub at the end of the roadPlus Dane owns 12 properties in Admiral Grove, with the rest being a combination of other social housing and private owners.
The auction will be held at the Cavern Club on Thursday 24th March.
Tony Webber, auction surveyor at Countrywide Property Auctions, said: “We are delighted and excited that Plus Dane Housing has chosen Countrywide to auction this property, which is such a unique part of Liverpool’s history as well as that of The Beatles. We have auctioned properties lived in by three other members of The Beatles – John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, and we expect a high level of interest from potential buyers in the UK and internationally. We would urge all interested parties to register their details as soon as possible to ensure they don’t miss out on this rare opportunity.”
For enquiries regarding the auction and to make any viewing arrangements, contact Entwistle Green Allerton office on 0151 734 2220.
