The light in John Lennon's old bedroom was left on this evening to mark the birthday of the Beatles legend. It is an annual tradition that pays tribute to John and his cultural legacy.
As the sun set on Friday evening, the light was switched on in honour of the musician's 86th birthday. The National Trust leaves the light switched on overnight in John's bedroom at Mendips, Woolton.
A childhood home preserved
The house at 251 Menlove Avenue is where he spent much of his childhood and teenage years. The property has been preserved to reflect how it would have looked during John's childhood in the 1950s.
John lived at this address with his aunt Mimi until 1963. Mendips became part of the National Trust's care in 2002 after Yoko Ono purchased the property and donated it to the conservation charity.
Fans gather outside
This evening, a steady procession of fans visited the home. Many people parked their cars and stood outside for quiet moments of reflection. Others laid flowers and lit candles as they stood and looked up at the single lit window.
The touching tradition is believed to have first started in December 2010, when Mendips custodian Colin Hall switched on the bedroom light at the suggestion of his wife, Sylvia.
Tribute to a musical legacy
Speaking to the ECHO in 2022, Simon Osborne, general manager of the National Trust's Liverpool properties said: "We're proud to care for Mendips, the childhood home of John Lennon in Liverpool.
"We leave the light on overnight in John's bedroom as a simple tribute to him and his cultural legacy. John's bedroom is the place where some of the earliest Beatles hits were written, where Lennon and McCartney once sat on John's bed to start composing songs like 'Please Please Me' and 'I Call Your Name'."
