Strawberry Field Exhibition

Strawberry Field is one of the most celebrated and emotionally resonant addresses in the history of popular music — the Salvation Army children's home in Woolton, Liverpool, whose overgrown, romantic garden young John Lennon regularly played in as a child, providing the inspiration for what many consider the greatest song ever recorded. 'Strawberry Fields Forever', released in February 1967, distilled Lennon's longing for an imagined childhood paradise into a piece of music that changed the course of popular culture. The actual Strawberry Field — its red gates and surrounding trees instantly recognisable from decades of photographs and pilgrimage — stands in a quiet residential street in Woolton just minutes from the house where Lennon grew up.

The Salvation Army, which had operated a children's home at Strawberry Field since 1936, announced in 2005 that the facility was to close. Following years of planning, fundraising and community engagement, the organisation reopened the gates to the public in 2019 with a transformed visitor experience combining a permanent exhibition, café, gardens and training centre. The exhibition 'This Is Not a Dream' — its title drawn from Lennon's own words about the song — explores the childhood experiences that shaped Lennon's imagination, the creation of one of music history's most experimental recordings, and the Salvation Army's century-long social mission at the site.

The story of John Lennon's childhood in Woolton is told with sensitivity and depth. Lennon was raised by his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George at 'Mendips', 251 Menlove Avenue, just a short walk from Strawberry Field. As a boy he frequently squeezed through the fence or climbed over the garden wall to play in the grounds of the Salvation Army home — his mother Julia, who lived nearby, would bring him to the annual garden fête where the Salvation Army brass band played. These childhood visits to a slightly wild, magical garden became formative experiences that Lennon later drew on in his songwriting.

The fateful meeting of Lennon and Paul McCartney took place on 6 July 1957 at St Peter's Church in Woolton village — just five minutes' walk from Strawberry Field — when McCartney watched Lennon's skiffle group the Quarrymen perform at the church fête and was subsequently introduced. The exhibition explores this pivotal moment in music history and the subsequent development of the Beatles' partnership. The Salvation Army continues its work at the adjacent building, supporting young people with learning disabilities in employment training — ensuring Strawberry Field remains a place of social purpose alongside its cultural significance.