Paul McCartney's childhood home is being opened up for unsigned artists

5 April 2022, 10:56 | Updated: 15 January 2024, 11:34

Paul McCartney debuts his new children’s picture book called Hey Grandude!

Sir Paul McCartney's childhood home is being put to very good use.

Paul McCartney has been writing songs non-stop since he was a teenager – before, during and after his time with The Beatles.

The McCartney family lived across Merseyside in Knowsley and then Speke, before moving to 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton in south Liverpool when Paul was around 13.

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Some of Paul McCartney's very first songs were written at his childhood home.

He and John Lennon polished off 'I Saw Her Standing There' at the house in 1962, and Paul even wrote a fledgling version of 'When I'm 64' at Forthlin Road in the spring of 1956, when he was just 14.

The National Trust bought the property in 1995, describing it as "a little terrace house in Liverpool" where "The Beatles met, rehearsed and wrote many of their songs".

Now, the next generation will be able to take inspiration from the Grade II Listed building, as it's being opened up for unsigned artists to write in and even perform at.

"This house to me, is a house of hope," Mike McCartney – Paul's younger brother – told Sky News.

"And I hope it will be for the young people that come through the doors."

I Saw Her Standing There (Remastered 2009)

He added: "I think it's a brilliant idea. Inviting young people to this house and giving them the opportunity of doing the same as us, coming from nothing and seeing where it takes them.

"All this is to me is a lovely little home where love came from."

Liverpool-born artist Esme said: "Whatever you create, write or play in this space will always be something really special.

"Obviously, The Beatles is a massive part of the music history in Liverpool and there's such a connection to it.

"So to be able to come here as an unsigned artist from Merseyside, you just feel really connected to that history."

Last year was a special one for Paul McCartney, with the release of his McCartney III Imagined album, the Let It Be box-set, his "lyrics memoir", the Hulu documentary McCartney 3,2,1 and of course the Peter Jackson docuseries The Beatles: Get Back.

This year could be even more momentous for Sir Paul, as he returns to headline the Glastonbury Festival in June just weeks after his 80th birthday amid rumours he will be awarded a peerage for his incredible lifetime of work.