Blue plaque for 3 Savile Row
The Beatles – 3 Savile Row – Blue Plaque from MONO MEDIA FILMS on Vimeo.
A blue plaque, commemorating the Beatles’ final live performance slightly more than fifty years ago was today mounted on the brick wall of Savile Row 3, the former Apple headquarters where the performance took place. Celebrations will be held later this month, enthuses Richard Porter, London Beatles Tour Guide and fan.
Richard Porter: ‘I have been guiding Beatles tours in London for over 25 years, and visit Savile Row at least 3 days a week. On nearly every tour I am asked why there is no commemoration to the Beatles on the building. I was therefore delighted when I was approached by David Rosen of Pilcher Hershman, a fellow Beatles fan who works in Savile Row, with the idea of forming a committee to put up a Blue Plaque. We got together with fellow Beatles fans, Max Baxter of Mono Media Films, and David Stark of Songlink, to make it happen. As 3 Savile Row is a listed building, it took a long time for the plaque to be approved, but finally we were delighted to get the green light from Westminster Council.’
The plaque was erected quietly at 8am on April 5th. Amongst those present was actor Bill Nighy and author Dylan Jones. A big celebration will be held in Savile Row later this month.
Richard Porter said “I am very honoured to be part of the team that has finally commemorated such a famous event in musical and cultural history”
Some ten years ago, a request from the City of Westminster to decorate the fasade of the building with a green plaque on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the performance was turned down by the company who owned the building then.
The new owners, Abercrombie Kids are more sympathetically acknowledging the building’s famous previous occupants, and have Beatles memorabilia available in the foyer.
The wording on the plaque:
The Beatles
played their last
live performance
on the roof
of this building.
30th January
1969
Great!! Very deserving, obviously.
Thanks for putting the info up. I check here every day for my Beatles updates!
Good to see. Maybe they'll put one on the Baker Street shop too – last time I looked there was a blue plaque commemorating just John Lennon.
Just 3 bolts glued into their holes in the brickwork. Wouldn't be surprised if someone will have that away soon
Popper – the rules are the person has to have been dead for 20 years, and George is also mentioned on the Baker street plaque.
Paul and Ringo will be on it eventually, but I'll probably be dead by that point!
Yes, the one with John Lennon on it in Baker Street was placed there in 2003 and replaced by one also mentioning George in 2013. Best seen from the upper deck on a double decker bus – and it has been left alone, so the Savile Row one is likely also safe where it is.
As soon as I posted I realised the dates didn't work out for George's inclusion. The 20 year rule is for English Heritage, and it has to be a place of domicile too, which would rule out the shop.
The Baker Street plaque has been placed by an organisation called the Heritage Foundation, who presumably have different rules. But it must be only for dead people hence only the mention of George and John
I’m glad that the Beatles were acknowledged that there last live concert was performed on this rooftop on January 30, 1969.