Ringo Starr

HOME CONTACT BUY THE BOOK HISTORY OF THE BEATLES VENUES

Ringo Starr

Richard Starkey was born on 7th July 1940 at 9, Madryn Street (Dingle). By the time he was three, his mum and dad divorced, with Ritchie Senior moving out of the house and back in with his parents at the bottom of Madryn Street, number 59 (Dingle). The grandparents would baby-sit young Ritchie sometimes, but the relationship between his parents was not good, and living in the same street was awkward. A bigger problem was the rent that was high. Elsie Starkey had to work to pay the rent, which was becoming more difficult, so she moved to 10, Admiral Grove, (Dingle) when Ritchie was only 5. This was where he grew up, and where most of his childhood memories are. Elsie worked as a barmaid at the Wellington Pub (Garston) and Yates' in Liverpool to pay the rent, and not in The Empress (Dingle) as has been often quoted.

His parents were married in St. Silas Church (Dingle) on High Park Street, where baby Ritchie was christened.

He attended St. Silas School (Dingle) on High Park Street, just a few minutes from his house. At the age of nearly seven, he was rushed to the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (Liverpool) on Myrtle Street after his appendix burst and he was very ill. He recovered, earning the nickname of "Lazarus" for his miraculous recovery.

He moved on to Dingle Vale Secondary Modern School (Dingle) at the age of 11, but again was ill when he contracted tuberculosis at the age of 13, meaning he missed school for the next year or more. He was moved to the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital in Heswall (Wirral), where his love for drumming was stimulated by childhood friend Marie Maguire. He worked for a short time for the railways, and was sent to Riversdale College (Aigburth) for training.

This is an excerpt from the book, which you will need to purchase for the full story of Ringo’s life in Liverpool.