John Lennon: A 75th birthday celebration

On October 9th we celebrate what would have been John Lennon's 75th birthday. In partnership with Can Cook Studio, the Beatles Story visitor attraction, Liverpool will celebrate the occasion by giving back to the community and offering support in the fight against food poverty.

A chocolate birthday cake will be unveiled at a special event at the Beatles Story, Albert Dock.  The campaign, led by John's sister Julia Baird launches a campaign to fight against food poverty - 'Imagine No Food Poverty'.

The design of the cake is being kept top secret until John’s birthday, when it will be revealed in public for the first time at the Beatles Story.

Garston-based cookery studio Can Cook have created the cake which is made out of chocolate because that was John Lennon’s favourite.

Julia said: “When John was young, it was war time and food was scarce so our family used to save up our chocolate rations so that when John’s birthday was coming up we could make him his favourite cake.

“He loved chocolate cake and this year as it would have been John’s 75th birthday I wanted to tell the story and tie it in with fighting food poverty in his hometown of Liverpool and in the UK today.”

The chocolate cake will be unveiled at a press conference at the Beatles Story, Albert Dock in Liverpool at 11am on Friday 9th October.

The cake will be auctioned with all proceeds going to Can Cook to support the 'Imagine No Food Poverty' campaign.

The 'Imagine No Food Poverty' campaign is being launched with a video featuring John’s sister, Julia, his schoolboy friend Tim Holmes and Robbie Davison, Director from Can Cook and highlights the problem of food poverty in Liverpool and across Britain, encouraging people to cook using healthy ingredients to make nourishing meals, even on a tight budget.

Robbie said: “Food poverty in the UK means over a million families with children are going hungry. Our solution is to provide fresh food to everyone who is hungry. By joining the 'Imagine No Food Poverty' campaign you will help feed good fresh food to people when they most need it.”

"As part of the launch of this campaign, we will also be retailing a special chocolate brownie that will be sold in the Beatles Story's shops and cafes and through the other Beatles Liverpool partners and for every brownie sold, we will give towards a meal for someone in food poverty."

As part of the celebrations, Beatles fans from Liverpool and around the world are being encouraged to send birthday messages on social media to mark John’s 75th birthday.

Using the #JL75 for social media, the Beatles Story hopes that social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will be flooded with well-wishes.

Martin King, of the Beatles Story, said: “John Lennon is a global musical icon and as this year would have been his 75th we would like to see people across the world celebrating too by sharing their messages on social media using the #JL75.”

“Let’s create a viral multimedia conversation for one of the greatest musicians the world has enjoyed.”

Also to mark John’s birthday the Beatles Story recently unveiled new memorabilia – the last piano John ever played – alongside an exhibition of never before seen pictures of John Lennon taken by American photographer, Bob Gruen. Bob served as John’s personal photographer during his time in New York in the 1970s and is credited with taking some of the most famous pictures of John Lennon in his post-Beatles career.

Our other Liverpool Beatles partners, the Cavern Club and Hard Days Night Hotel, are also marking this occasion with special activities taking place all week. Find out more about these here.