Although for us in the UK, the anniversary of John’s death, 40 years ago, will not come until tomorrow, here at St Peter’s we wanted to mark the official anniversary too. This morning, volunteers laid single white roses, representing peace, at some of the places at St Peter’s that were, and are, so important to John.

The roses were laid at the peace memorial, on Uncle George’s grave, on the spot in the choir stalls where John sat and, of course, on the spot in the Church Hall where he met Paul on July 6 1957.

And we took a rose and laid it at the Strawberry Field gates, uniting St Peter’s with our friends and neighbours around the corner who also were so important in John’s life.

We are so proud, at St Peter’s, to be part of John’s story and privileged to be a custodian of his legacy.

John Lennon 1940-1980