John Lennon, the boy we knew - Guardian UK

[Bozita]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/13/john-lennon-childhood-girlfriend-liverpool

John Lennon, the boy we knew
Before the Beatles, John Lennon was a school friend, a bandmate, a boyfriend - and a big personality. We talk to the people who knew him best during his Liverpool youth
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Imogen Carter
The Observer, Sunday 13 December 2009
Article history



John Lennon (centre) plays guitar with the Quarrymen at St Peter's church fete, Woolton, Merseyside, 6 July 1957. Photograph: PA

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Comedian JIMMY TARBUCK went to Dovedale primary school with John Lennon and knew him all his life. In Nowhere Boy Tarbuck (played by Christian Bird) features briefly: Lennon (Aaron Johnson) cycles past him and shouts "Tarbuck! Keep out of the chippy ye fat bastard!"

I always got on very well with John. He took the piss out of me, which made me laugh. He was a character, sarcastic, full of quips. When the Beatles had their first record out, "Love Me Do", John played it to me and I came out with a classic: "You should sell this to the Everly Brothers." Shows you what I knew! He never let me forget that. Whenever I saw him he'd say "We're still writing songs for the Everly Brothers" and piss himself laughing.

I was at Dovedale with John and we lived quite near so we'd bump into each other all the time. He lived in a very nice semi-detached house on Menlove Avenue. He wasn't a working-class lad as many people make out, that's a load of crap. He had a very nice childhood – I know he didn't in terms of the mum and Aunt Mimi situation – but he was never wanting for food and things. I remember kicking a ball around with him in the playground, shouting and being daft. He was like any other kid. He wasn't a sit-in-the-corner, a quiet Harry; if there was a bit of uproar he'd be amongst it like myself. Later with Yoko Ono he became a pacifist but he was far from that before. He wasn't a hard case but he wouldn't back off anything. Mind you, we went to the Isle of Man on a school holiday and I got into more scrapes than he did.

When we were older John had a great party piece – he'd put speed in your drink. When I was about 24 I nodded off one night at someone's house and he stuck some in my drink. I was like a rabbit in the headlights for four days!

more, much more...

[onehandle]

1. Shot in the back five times with a handgun. nt

[apocalypsehow]

2. But it wasn't the poor guns fault - don't be hatin' on the precious gun! n/t.

[NBachers]

3. Great article- thanks for the link

May Mark David Chapman rot in Attica until he's dead.

No . . . no forgiveness here