Songs of Praise

Strawberry Field (2020x16)

Air date: Apr 19, 2020

This programme will be available shortly after broadcast Strawberry Field Songs of Praise In a programme filmed before the current restrictions, Aled Jones explores the theme of inclusion by visiting Strawberry Field in Liverpool to discover how the Salvation Army is putting faith into action and embracing its link to John Lennon, who played there as a child. When the Beatles released Strawberry Fields Forever in 1967, many assumed the lyric was simply the product of John Lennon’s imagination, but the song harked back to a place that was very special to Lennon’s childhood. Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army children’s home in Woolton, Liverpool, occupying a grand Victorian house with beautiful grounds. John lived with his Aunt Mimi around the corner and often used to jump over the walls to play in the gardens. It was a place of sanctuary for him. The children’s home closed in 2005, and the Salvation Army felt there was an opportunity to do something new and creative with the site, especially as 60,000 Beatles fans a year were turning up just to take photos by the iconic red gates. Last year they opened a new Strawberry Field centre – a training hub for young people with learning difficulties. There is also a visitor exhibition exploring the site’s links to John Lennon and gardens for spiritual reflection. Aled meets Salvation Army major Kathy Versfeld to hear more about the history of Strawberry Field and its famous visitor, and how the centre is now offering a Christian welcome and a place to reflect for the many visitors who come. Aled also meets trainees on the Strawberry Field 'steps to work' programme, which helps adults with learning difficulties to build skills and find work. Aled also meets Rev Alex Clare-Young, a young minister in the United Reformed Church, who believes part of his calling is to share his story as a transgender Christian. Alex talks openly about his journey from an unhappy childhood - he was told to leave his church as a t