How a Beatles hit forever links Liverpool and Spain

Strawberry Fields Forever is one of the Beatles' most famous hits, and now a new flight has highlighted how the song forever links Liverpool with a Spanish city.

John Lennon wrote the earliest version of the 1967 classic while staying at the 19th Century Casa de Santa Isabel residence in Almeria, on Spain's south-east coast, in September the previous year.

The wild garden and ornate gates of the mansion, which is now a museum, was said to have reminded Lennon of his childhood memories playing in the grounds of Strawberry Field Salvation Army Children's home in Liverpool - the inspiration for the song.

At the time, Lennon was in Almeria filming the 1967 black comedy film How I Won the War - in which he played the minor character of Gripweed - in his only non-musical acting role.

Now a new EasyJet flight has begun operating every Tuesday and Sunday to the Spanish city from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Michelle Lovegrove-Huggins, the current mission director at Strawberry Field visitor attraction, said she hoped the route would help Beatles fans from both England and Spain follow Lennon's life and revel in a lesser-know episode of Fab Four history.

She said Lennon "found inspiring sanctuary" at Strawberry Field - which has since been opened to the public as a tourist attraction - as a child growing up in Woolton.

"The new route is more than a travel connection, it's a cultural bridge," she said.

"It invites visitors to walk in John Lennon's footsteps."

Airport spokesman Robin Tudor said: "We only found out about the John Lennon link when the team at Strawberry Field got in touch, having heard that EasyJet were to start flights to Almeria for the first time.

"Almeria is another new destination from here, opening up direct access to a part of southern Spain not served from Liverpool before."

Strawberry Fields' cultural journey travelled to other spots around the world.

Said to have been viewed by Lennon as his finest work, after his murder in New York City a section of Central Park was named after the song.

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