Chester and The Beatles: Five links to the Fab Four

The man dubbed 'the fifth Beatle', Sir George Martin, has passed away at the age of 90.

Sir George had the honour of giving the band their record deal and brought their musical visions to life, producing all but one of the Fab Four's albums.

The band are synonymous with their Liverpool roots, but they have links with Chester too.

Here are five you may, or may not, know about...

The family ties

John Lennon’s grandmother, Annie Jane Millward, was born in the Bear & Billet pub, on Lower Bridge Street, in 1873. At the time it was known as the Earl of Shrewsbury's town house and Annie was said to have lived there until she was in her 20s.

John's sister Julia Baird told The Chronicle in 2004 : "Our great grandfather and great-grandmother lived there. Our great-grandfather was the clerk to the earl, because of that he had the freedom to the city of Chester.

"During childhood, we spent a lot of time in Chester, coming over on the train from Liverpool because Chester was the best place to do some clothes shopping. Chester has always been in the family."

The early gigs

The Beatles played several concerts in the city in their formative years.

In August 1962, John Lennon married his first wife Cynthia in Liverpool, but instead of spending his first night of wedded bliss with her, he and his bandmates hot-footed it over to Chester where they played a gig at The Riverpark Ballroom. They appeared at the venue a number of times that year, including the day drummer Pete Best was sacked.

The Beatles also stayed at The Blossoms Hotel on Love Street, when they played at the former Royalty Theatre on City Road.

The real Nowhere, man?

While the Fab Four were in Chester in the early 60s, they heard tales of a cottage on the banks of the River Dee, near to the Grosvenor Bridge, called 'Nowhere'.

It is said to have intrigued John Lennon so much that he visited the house and later wrote the song Nowhere Man.

The house is not far from the Bear & Billet, where John's grandmother was born.

The hammer blow

In August 1967, The Beatles were travelling to Bangor to meet Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for a meeting of the International Meditation Society.

At Chester station the band got off to change trains and it was there they were informed that their manager Brian Epstein, who was due to join them on the trip, had died of an overdose, leaving them devastated.

The man who said 'no'

In the 60s, Gordon Vickers earned the nickname 'Mr Chester' because he ran the Monday Wall City Jazz Club night at city nightclub Quaintways.

He was responsible for signing all kinds of bands who would receive a modest fee for performing in the city.

But he turned down The Beatles because he thought they were 'too scruffy'.

"I was offered the chance to book them for £10 but rejected it," Gordon once said. "I always thought (Manchester band) the Hollies were better than the Beatles."