Ringo Starr’s birthplace, 9 Madryn Street, Dingle, Liverpool

Here I am at the home where Ringo Starr (real name Richard Starkey) was born and spent the first years of his life. It’s in the Dingle district of Liverpool which looks a bit sorry for itself. It was bombed in the Second World War and doesn’t look like it’s fully recovered.

The other Beatles lived in more affluent areas of Liverpool but Ringo - the oldest Beatle - was born here on 7^th July 1940. His dad worked at the docks and his mum worked in a bakery. They spent much of their free time on the local ballroom circuit until their only child was born. His mum Elsie was so overprotective of Ringo that his dad lost interest in his family and spent long hours drinking and dancing in pubs. Ringo were later say he had no memories of his dad who often disappeared for many days at a time. They split up when Ringo was three years old.

That Sunday afternoon the street was almost silent except for the odd car passing at the end of the street. Both rows were boarded up. It was a little eerie, a bit like a film setting (only one was lived in.) Number nine where Ringo was born looks like all the others but is heavily marked with messages in black marker pens. When I arrived there was a black taxi parked up. The driver took photos of his passengers outside number nine before driving off.

Liverpool Council bought rows of houses for £17 million pounds to demolish however the houses on this street are now going to be redeveloped. At the moment each house is worth approximately £500. I tried to get round the back of the houses to take a photograph of the back bedroom where Ringo probably slept but the whole street was guarded by a barrier and sprayed brown.

I strolled up and down Madryn Street three times and found the quietness a little unnerving. The Starkey family paid 10 shillings (about 50 pence) a week to rent number nine. How could they ever know their son would one day be worth tens of millions of pounds and have homes in Los Angeles and Monaco?

Mattress on street, modern art. Must worth at least £100,000…

The man himself…

I tried to get round the back of Ringo’s but there was a tall metal barrier up. I pushed my camera through a hole and took a photo of the mostly-brown street…

Elsie and Harry visiting Richy in hospital...