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The Beatles' 'Penny Lane' Nurse Identified After 40 Years

In a new book...

The identity of a nurse mentioned in the Beatles song 'Penny Lane' has been made public over forty years after the track was released.

Stan Williams, a former schoolfriend of John Lennon, identifies the nurse as Beth Davidson in a new book about growing up in Liverpool.

Williams said Lennon would have known Davidson from his childhood.

The lyrics to the song are: "Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout, the pretty nurse is selling poppies from the tray, and though she feels she's in a play, she is anyway."

According to Williams, a group of boys, including Lennon, saw Davidson selling poppies on the street dressed in a cadet nurse's uniform.

"In my mind's eye, I still like to visit that special October day in 1954 when Beth had her image trapped within the lens of Lennon's creative imagination,” Williams told the Telegraph.

Davidson died of cancer in the 1970s.

You can see a selection of rare Beatles shots from CBS’ exhibition, which is on display at the Beatles Story until November, below...

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  • Don't agree with all obv, but not a bad overview. RT @FRUKTMaley: RT @Gigwise The 50 Greatest Songs of the 2000s! http://bit.ly/8Oy59
    TomSc on Thu Oct 08 17:57:33 via HootSuite
  • News / The Top 50 Songs of the 2000's according to @Gigwise / http://bit.ly/8Oy59
    saltinbanki on Thu Oct 08 16:02:36 via Echofon
  • @Gigwise thanks! S
    plasmatron on Thu Oct 08 13:55:01 via TweetDeck
  • @Gigwise how about a Spotify playlist?
    shamelesspr on Thu Oct 08 13:21:53 via web
  • ...maar kom hem op #26 al tegen. Wel Radiohead op #1, met Idioteque. Mooie lijst van @Gigwise
    pzantingh on Thu Oct 08 13:03:31 via web
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