David Bedford
I’m Partly Dave – meet the author
Contact the author at partlydave@liddypool.com
“There once upon a time was a man who was partly Dave – he had a mission in life. I’m partly Dave…”
– John Lennon, In His Own Write
Hello. I am partly Dave or wholly Dave Bedford, though probably not all there (pictured above -on the left – with Alistair Taylor.) Why write another book on The Beatles to add to the many thousand that have been written over the years?
Well, not many Beatle books have been written by people from Liverpool. This is the city I grew up in; the city that influenced me. What do you know about the places you’ve read about? Where did The Beatles grow up? Where did they live? What were their musical influences?
To properly understand The Beatles, you have to understand Liverpool. To understand Liverpool, you have to live here So, what about “Partly Dave” then?
I grew up in the Dingle by the bottom of Madryn Street, where Ringo was born. At the age of four I started my education at St. Silas School in 1969, which Ringo had attended years before. My dad came to Liverpool as vicar of St. Philemon’s Church, which incorporated the parish of St. Silas Church. It’s the same church where Ringo sang in the choir and where his parents were married. My house was two doors away from the Men’s Club, regularly attended by John Lennon’s uncles.
I lived in the Dingle until I was twenty-four, having lived in Teilo Street after I was married. Our home was two streets away from Admiral Grove where Ringo lived from the age of five. Ringo once stated, “When you lived in the Dingle, you aspired to have a semi in the suburbs of Mossley Hill or Woolton.”
When my wife Alix and I decided to move out to Mossley Hill to start a family. We ended up within half a mile of Penny Lane – yes, that Penny Lane. Our children – Philippa, Lauren and Ashleigh have all attended Dovedale School where John Lennon, George Harrison and Ivan Vaughan received their early education.
The Beatles have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was ten, I picked up my first guitar. I bought a Beatles’ songbook to learn my favourite songs. Wherever I have been The Beatles have accompanied me on my own long and winding road. As many fans can testify, it is more than just liking their music; the quartet has a profound influence on your life.
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