Should we save the former home of 'Beatle' Ringo Starr?

As a born and bred Liverpudlian, I am proud of the way the city has managed to come through many dire times and the way it now attracts many tourists, who come to see the many places of interest. The former homes of The Beatles do feature, being visited daily by tour buses and taxis. The problem with the old home of the Beatles' drummer is the condition of the whole row of houses in which it sits. By all local accounts, the majority of residents would prefer to see new housing there. If the area is re-developed, just leaving the terrace in which the Starkey family resided it would look very odd and probably nobody would wish to live there. Given that the National Trust has been gifted two homes once lived in by Paul and John, the fans do have something really interesting to visit and enter. Had Ringo's parents home been kept in better condition, which may not have been viable due to to the structural quality, then a better case for keeping it might be made. The street is very narrow and the cost of doing an acceptable preservation might be too much.

The city demolished the Cavern Club many years ago, which was a rather rash act, even going to the trouble later of building a close replica almost next door to the original. We have to remember that not everything can be kept, and in 251 Menlove Avenue and 20 Forthlin Road, the city has two well preserved Beatles ex homes to be proud of thanks to The National Trust and those who gifted the places.  

It will be interesting to see what happens, but for what it's worth (little probably), my view is that it is too late now perhaps to save this now rather sad looking row of houses.     

Though I am normally a strong advocate of historic preservation, in this case I feel that the building is not worth the effort. It is neither historically nor architecturally significant--more a poorly constructed eyesore than anything else.

As to the "Fab Four," I am in total agreement with lancashirelove--as a group the Beatles were wonderful. Individually, however, I found them to be very disappointing, with the occasional exception of George Harrison. I think that Paul McCartney and Wings put out some of the worst music ever.

It might be of interest to you to know our local newpspaper in Portland has an very similar kind of problem in thier older part of town..only in this case they want to tear downtthe house there and build an new one in its place...one that along an row of like houses has the new squared off and sitting one story down into the ground with an side enterance at street level..the people are most upset..they said it sticks out amoung other buildings like an" sore thumb" in the nieghborhood...and show pictures. As to the new housing these days..it's anything but better sometimes. For one thing they are slapped together so closely that there is no "future" living in them...you pretty much got to live with what is there...and there are an lots of people trying to escape them having been some years now in ownership..feeling like they are living in an "sardine can" neighborhood. Paying top dollar just because they are "new" there is little room to change your lifestyle through the years and more so as they age internally....so close together....one catch on fire and it should be about equal to another "Chicago fire" epsisode of them all going up in flames.Mass buiding has ruined our sense of "country" also. We moved out here originally to get away from living this kind of life in the city. The original land-owners in our area have both put their houses up for sale for one million dollars and not gotten as much as an" looker" with all these other houses around us now...and I have five in my area up the street that simply can't sell so far and been up in the market for an year now at very reasonable prices.This is more then just the housing economy...it is the understanding that many of these houses have nothing to offer its people when you get right down to it..they are lucky to be able to support one tree and an small bush for landscaping...to have an empty driveway for their kids to play in. Many are opting out for private back yards and sharing an picnic table an BBQ among houses instead...one patio to cook and eat on and another one to lounge on and entertain guests...with an grassy strip between them for the animals. For that they are made to pay "top dollar"...phooey!!!  Not worth it. My house and those around me immediately as neighbors all share one thing in common...houses with 10,000 sq foot yards..or 1/4 acre of ground..and there are times we wished we had more land by the time it got landscaped also.

I agree with Rod, mainly Rod, because it's a local issue and you are a local.  If the time and cost don't equate to value, then it's probably best that it be redeveloped.  It looks pretty run down.