Julian Lennon and mum Cynthia open Liverpool exhibition in memory of John Lennon

Jun 17 2009 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

BEFORE the gunshot that robbed the world of Liverpool’s most famous musician, John Lennon told his son that if he ever died he would contact him by means of a white feather.

This symbol of his love for Julian, then just a boy, is the name to a new exhibition that gives an intimate portrait of life with the former Beatle.

Julian and his mother Cynthia Lennon visited Liverpool yesterday to launch White Feather: Spirit of Lennon at the Beatles Story’s new second site at the Pier Head.

Among the memorabilia on display are photographs of the Lennon family, childhood drawings, newspaper cuttings and recording notes for Hey Jude, written for Julian by Paul McCartney.

Julian, now 46, bought the notes at auction along with many of the other items included in the exhibition.

He said: “Nothing was passed to me after Dad passed so the only way I could regain any of his belongings or Beatles works was to buy them.

“I felt that if I have a family I would want them to have the heritage.”

Other personal possessions include Lennon’s Honda “monkey bike” motorbike and an electric guitar inscribed with the message “To Julian from Daddy, Christmas 1973’, revealing a 20-year tale of John Lennon’s home life and music career.

Cuttings from the Daily Post telling how the Cynthia was separated from the musician at Euston Station and missed the train home to Liverpool show how difficult coping with fame can be.