Ringo's Liverpool birthplace in world spotlight

The campaign to halt the demolition of the birthplace of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is stepping-up a gear during the Liverpool Mathew Street Festival.

Renowned Italian musicians Rolando Gianbelli and the Marco Zappa band will make a pilgrimage to Madryn Steeet to play an impromptu acoustic gig on Saturday morning (28th August).

Rolando, who is also President of the Italian national Fab Four fan club "Beatlesiani" is appalled at plans to demolish the house where Richard Starkey was born.

The Italians, who have joined the Save Madryn Street Campaign, will sing Ringo's signature tune "With I

Said Rolando: "I have been coming to Liverpool for the Mathew Street Festival for many years and I've seen it grow into something really fantastic.

"The Beatles and their music are as popular as ever. Fans want to come to Liverpool and to see and learn about the places where the members of the band were born and lived.

"People who love The Beatles all over the world cannot understand how Liverpool cannot understand how it makes any sense to knock-down the house where Ringo was born.

"Ringo is very popular and people would pay to visit his birthplace and to spend some time in the area where he grew up. I've been to Madryn Street myself as a tourist, in the past, and seeing the small house where Ringo was born was a very moving experience.

"When I heard that the campaign had been started to stop the demolition I wanted to help, so I volunteered out band to stage a concert there.

"It is short notice but I hope people will come an listen to us and show their support. We have to do everything we can to save Madryn Street. It is an important piece of Beatles history."

The Save Madryn Street (SMS) Campaign has been formed with the aim of preserving for posterity number 9 Madryn Street, Liverpool.

The humble terraced house in the Dingle area of Liverpool is where Richard Starkey entered the world on 7th July 1940 and where he lived in first five years of his life.

Founder members of the SMS campaign are: Phil Coppell, Liverpool Beatles guide, Steve Barnes, Hard Days Night Shop and Fab Cabs of Liverpool, Dave Bedford, Beatles historian and author of "Liddypool", Frank Carlye renowned Liverpool historian, author and broadcaster, and journalist Chris Johnson.

The SMS campaign agues that number 9 Madryn Street is a vital and irreplaceable element of Liverpool's Beatles heritage and is a stopping-off point for thousands of tourists each year.

The news that it has been scheduled for destruction has stirred a storm of angry protests from fans in Liverpool and around the world.

Madryn Street is one of the small estate of "Welsh Streets" that have been scheduled for destruction in preparation for a future housing regeneration scheme.

SMS Campaign Chariman, Phil Coppell said: "We are thrilled that Rolando and Marco Zappa have volunteered to bask in Madryn Street to highlight the threat of demolition.

"Since we launched the campaign we have been inundated with messages of support from all over Liverool, Britain and around the world and we have lodged an official objection to demolition plan

"Our next move is to seek a meeting with leading members of Liverpool City Council in the hope that we can persuade them to put the whole scheme on hold.

"That would allow time for a developer to be found who can put forward an alternative scheme to preserve and re-develop Madryn Street as the huge assett that it can become to the Dingle area and the city as a whole."

SMS Campaing member Steve Barnes added: "We have already had approaches from business leaders who can see the potential for commercial development of Madryn Street as a hotel or as tourist accommodation.

"We have got an online petition and the SMS campaign is already getting a lot of attention. It is going to be the big talking-point of the Mathew Street Festival.

"All the Beatles fans want it to be saved and we are hopeful that it can be preserved when a viable alternative to demoltion is proposed."

Event: Saturday 28th August 2010
Time: 10am to 11am.
Location: Outside No 9 Madryn Street, Dingle, Liverpool.

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