Over the gate...

Designed in 1913 by Victorian/Edwardian/other architect Theophilus A Allen; John Lennon's house between 1964 and 1968; sunroom, attic and prisco stripe hibernice; Mellotron and caravan; Babidji and Mimi; mortar and pestle; Wubbleyoo Dubbleyoo; curios and curiosity; remnants and residue; testimonials and traces; (Cavendish Avenue, Sunny Heights and Kinfauns); Montagu Square; mock Tudor: Brown House: *KENWOOD*.

(Also available as a blog.)

Legal Blah: This blog is for historical research only, and is strictly non-commercial. All visual and audio material remains the property of the respective copyright owner, and no implication of ownership by me is intended or should be inferred. Any copyright owner who wants something removed should contact me and I will do so immediately. Alternatively, I would be delighted to provide a credit. The writing is by me, such as it is, unless otherwise stated, and this is the only Beatles related blog I am responsible for.

Comments Blah: Comments are moderated. Any genuine comments are welcome. Due to idiotic spamming, you'll have to press the "Follow" button on the right under "Kenwoodites..." in order to leave a comment. Offensive comments/advertising/trolling/other moronicisms are not welcome, and will be rejected.
Comments are the responsibility of the individual commenter, and commenters' opinions do not necessarily reflect my own. (NB: This blog revels in flagrant trivia. If that's not yer "thing", this won't be yer "thang".)

Correspond via: kenwoodlennon@googlemail.com

Saturday 28 February 2009

Kenwood: summer, 1967.



Muito obrigado to the legendary Lizzie Bravo and her French pal for these. It seems John liked to do his drawing outside that year. (It is precisely this kind of minutia that I love about all this nonsense).
PS Her French pal is, I am informed, Bruno Dupont - so thanks once again Bruno! PPS I am also reliably informed that the man in the second photo to John's right is Terry Doran.

Kenwood: summer, 1967 and June, 1968.



Two more great photos - and many thanks to Bruno Dupont for these.

Kenwood: floor plans, circa 2006.




Obviously there have been changes since the era of himself, but these give the state of con/destruction in 2006. What is referred to as the "garden room" here was the sunroom.

Pete Shotton: interview.

Pete Shotton lived at Kenwood in 1967 and 1968. His book is the best one if you want to know what life was like there back then (and I think that you do). He talks here about the Two Virgins night, among other things.

Sunroom: summer 1967 - a Beatle visit (or visits?).



First off - once again, thank you to Joe Baiardi for these. This looks like George and Ringo visiting John in the summer of 1967. But is that George? Or just a random hippy?

Friday 27 February 2009

Kenwood: various rare photos.













The first one has a good view of the other side of the sunroom - and that is two of the Fool sitting there. The second photo is fairly amusing, due to the gamut of facial expressions on display. Laugh? I almost tittered. Another thing - from reading about it, I always thought there was a piano in the sunroom - but where was it? I think I can see it in one of the other photos on this page, though it is indistinct. The first photo here gives some perspective, so the piano (if piano it be) was on the opposite wall to the "Safe As Milk" wall. Plus, they are probably watching some rubbish on the tele above the fireplace. The third photo is "interesting" too - Pete Shotton mentioned spray-painting Kenwood in his book, but I'd never seen any evidence of it (not that I doubted it), unlike Kinfauns. But look at the front door.... Muchas gracias to Mr Baiardi for providing these pics.



Kenwood: den - early 1968 & early 1967.
















Sunroom: December 1968.


Another rare photo. Note - new table. The white one is gone - Cynthia has bagged it! The footstools later turn up at Tittenhurst.

Sunroom: December 1968.



Rare photos, taken in early December 1968, just before Kenwood was sold. The sunroom wall is now bare, but the shelving still has traces of the previous "Summer o' Lovin'" (at least, I believe that's what it was called).

Kenwood: August, 1967.












These photos were taken one afternoon in August, 1967. John had sent his housekeeper down to the gate to let in waiting fans in small groups. He was working on a drawing which one of the fans, Frank Lawson, remembers as "quite complex with lots of lines with faces interwoven and emerging from the lines". John signed autographs etc. There must be lots more of these photos somewhere (there's one more in another post on this page for starters). So there we go. Pretty exciting stuff, I'm errr...sure you'll agree.



Kenwood: Paul arrives for a visit, circa '66/'67

Thanks to Tammy for putting me on to this picture.

Kenwood: from above part 2. 2009.



Interesting (or not) to compare these with the Lennon-era aerial photos. Note the swimming pool has been re-built and is now in a different position. This happened in the mid-1990s. John's mural in the pool, however, was removed in the '80s by a Swedish businessman who owned Kenwood at the time. It was generously donated to the Liverpool Year of Culture exhibition, and then, typically, not returned. (Anyone out there got the local tv news item relating to its removal? I used to have it on VHS a long time ago, but sadly it has gone the way of all things....)

Kenwood: letters part 2 - to Jonathan Hague.


Sunroom: tables part 2.









Early summer 1968, summer 1967 & as sold at Sotheby's. (Although, looking at it again, the first two photos are a different table, unless John and Yoko were two foot small.)

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Sunroom wall: caricature.




Kenwood: front gate - circa 1966 and present day.









Thanks to Joe Baiardi for gate photo.

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Kenwood: from above part 1.






Circa 1966/1967. (Who is on the lawn?)

Sunday 22 February 2009

Kenwood letters: part 1.






Three letters written by John at Kenwood.

Thursday 19 February 2009

Sunroom: summer, 1967
























Again, various shots of the sunroom, all of which will be minutely examined on these pages, in nauseating detail, in the fullness of time.