THE grave of an original member of The Beatles was restored by a keen fan after years of neglect.
The headstone of Stuart Sutcliffe, who was the band’s bassist in the early 1960s, was almost toppled over in a Huyton cemetery.
But a big Beatles fan who made it his mission to restore famous landmarks of the Fab Four has restored the fallen granite grave and repainted its gold lettering.
Less than two months after he painted the gates of the former Strawberry Field children’s home in its original pillar box red, Colin Unwin cleared and tidied the plot.
The 61-year-old said: “After the sad tale of Strawberry Field, I wanted to tidy up Stuart’s grave. He was the forgotten Beatle and contributed so much to the band in its founder years.
“Before there was John and Paul there was John and Stuart, and it broke my heart to see his grave so neglected and at a 45-degree angle.”
Colin, who lives in Manchester, paid a stonemason to repair and upright the headstone before he repainted the gold lettering.
He said: “I would have paid any amount of money to have it done. It does not look like anyone has been maintaining it and it was close to toppling over.
“Fourteen years ago, during a visit to Strawberry Field, I picked a flower and planted it in my garden.
“I have now transferred this purple flower and planted it next to Stuart’s grave for the many fans who visit his grave to appreciate.”
Colin, who works as a janitor at Rochdale fire station, tried to contact Sutcliffe’s family before finally getting permission from St Michael’s parish church, Huyton.
He said: “Many fans visit the grave and I have often found plectrums, flags and even a Jesus medallion which they have left.
“Hopefully more people will now visit the grave to pay their respects.”
Colin is now hoping to put up plaques in memory of The Beatles at sites including Litherland town hall, where he said Beatlemania began.
