34 Montagu Square, Marylebone - Legacy

Legacy

A music label owner, Reynold D’Silva, bought the flat for £550,000 in 2002, beating a rival bid from Noel Gallagher. D’Silva considered opening it as a music museum, but decided to rent it instead, for £795 per week. Author Miles contended that 34 Montagu Square "clearly qualifies as a candidate for one of the blue marker plaques that the City of Westminster fixes to buildings of historical interest". On Saturday 23 October 2010, in front of 100 people, Ono unveiled a Blue Plaque at 34 Montagu Square: "John Lennon, 1940–1980, Musician and songwriter, lived here in 1968". Beatles' biographer, Hunter Davies, started the unveiling ceremony, with Rod Davis, from Lennon's first group, The Quarrymen, in the gathering. Ono said:

"I am very honoured to unveil this blue plaque and thank English Heritage for honouring John in this way. This particular flat has many memories for me and is a very interesting part of our history. In what would have been John's 70th year, I am grateful to you all for commemorating John and this particular part of his London life, one which spawned so much of his great music and great art".

Davis also commented:

"He would think it highly amusing that they've put up a plaque here, considering what happened here. If only they'd mentioned the drugs bust on the bottom of the plaque. Wherever he is, he would have a great chuckle about this one".