Imagine… ‘Beatles Memorabilia – The Julian Lennon Collection’ comes to Gibraltar

Telling John Lennon’s unique story through the eyes of his first wife Cynthia and their son Julian, this is the first time that the ‘Beatles Memorabilia – The Julian Lennon Collection’ has ever set foot outside Liverpool…

VIPs at the exhibition which was opened by Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo

The 3,000-square foot showcase – at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries in Gibraltar’s Casemates – is a personal account of the Lennons’ intimate family life, and features filmed interviews, fascinating photos and postcards, plus a whole host of memorabilia that 50-year-old musician, film producer and photographer Julian has collected over the last 20 years.

So what iconic items are on display? Well, must-sees for Beatles fans of all ages include Julian’s schoolboy drawing of his classmate Lucy, which inspired his Dad to write Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds; Macca’s handwritten Hey Jude lyrics composed for Julian at the time his parents’ marriage broke up; John’s signature Afghan coat and Honda ‘monkey bike’; and of course Julian’s electric guitar, complete with its plaque inscribed ‘To Julian from Daddy, Christmas 1973’.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono married in Gibraltar in 1969

The Lennons have strong links with Gibraltar. It was a frequent port of call for Julian’s merchant seaman, paternal grandfather Alfred back in the 1930s. Then of course, John and second wife Yoko Ono were famously married in Gibraltar in 1969. It’s rumoured that Julian – and perhaps his mother too – will be visiting the Exhibition sometime this month, in which case he’ll be the third generation of Lennons to have set foot on The Rock.

A philanthropist dedicated to environmental and humanitarian issues, Julian Lennon champions the co-existence of all species as well as the health and wellbeing of the Earth. He produced the Whaledreamers film, while ticket sales in Gibraltar will help to support his own worthy charity, the White Feather Foundation.

Musician, film producer and photographer Julian Lennon is the founder of the White Feather Foundation

The ‘Beatles Memorabilia – The Julian Lennon Collection’ is expected to run at Gibraltar’s Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries in Casemates until the end of the year. The Exhibition is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Costing £8 each for adults; £4 each for children; and £20 for 2 adults + 2 children – tickets are available online here.