The race is on for funding to be secured to repair and restore the colourful Penny Lane Wonderwall.
The wall stands at the site of the Penny Lane Development Trust (PLDT), a not-for profit registered charity and community hub situated in the heart of the popular tourist location.
Artist Ian Town sprayed the wall five years ago, incorporating the faces of all four Beatles into the design, along with notable places in the band’s folklore, such as the Cavern Club, and is popular with visitors to the landmark, according to Julie Gornell, Senior Charity Officer at the PLDT.
She told JMU Journalism: “Due to the awful winter of 2010, a large part of the face of the wall fell off. Once again the moisture has had a bad effect on the brickwork and large segments have again become detached as a result.
“It was therefore agreed that some restoration would be required prior to getting it re-sprayed again. We have had some quotes in for the remedial work and that with the re-spraying and sealing will cost in the region of £3,000.”
The trust has subsequently set up an online funding campaign where people can pledge as much money as they choose, and if the project is successful, the trust plans to include the names of all the backers on the face of the wall in tribute.
However, there have only been 57 separate backers so far, and as it stands, the project needs around £1,000 more to meet the total required in the next eight days.
Gornell continued: “If we do not reach our target by Monday 17th March then all the pledges that have been made will be refunded to the backers and we get nothing, but if every Beatles fan in the area donated a pound we’d be able to build a new wall altogether.”
To raise the remaining funds and mark the fifth birthday of the PLDT, there will be a fundraising event at the hub on Saturday 14th March between 1pm and 5pm.