21 Facts About Julia Baird

Julia Baird is a British retired teacher and author.

Julia Baird is the younger half-sister of English musician John Lennon, and is the eldest daughter of his mother Julia Lennon and John 'Bobby' Albert Dykins.

Julia Baird is a director of Cavern City Tours in Liverpool.

Julia Baird was forced to give up the child for adoption after intense pressure from her father and her sisters.

Dykins was said to be a good-looking, well-dressed man who was several years older than Julia Baird and worked at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool as a wine steward.

Julia Baird later moved into a small flat in Gateacre with Dykins, who had access to rationed goods like alcohol, chocolate, silks and cigarettes.

When Jackie was born prematurely on 26 October 1949, Julia Baird went back to the hospital every day to see her, although she was often not allowed to visit Lennon.

Dykins later managed several bars in Liverpool, which allowed Julia to stay at home at Blomfield Road, to look after Baird, Jackie, a cat named "Elvis", and the 11-year-old Lennon, who had started to visit and occasionally stayed overnight.

Julia Baird would give up her bed to Lennon, and share Jackie's double bed.

Julia Baird remembered that after Lennon had visited them, her mother would often play a record called, My Son John, To Me You Are So Wonderful, "by some old crooner, and sit and listen to it".

Julia Baird was allowed to sit on the back, but as the music was too loud she asked to be taken off.

Julia Baird's mother was struck and killed on 15 July 1958, just outside Mimi's home, by a Standard Vanguard car driven by an off-duty constable, PC Eric Clague, who was a learner-driver.

At the age of 14 Julia Baird was allowed to go into Liverpool city centre by herself, where she drank cappuccino coffee in the Kardomah Coffee House, although Julia Baird and her friends called it "frothy coffee".

At 16, Julia Baird started to hitch-hike to London, although her aunt never knew, as she would never have allowed it.

Dykins had since married, but Julia Baird acknowledges that she and Jackie had very little contact with his wife, and did not attend their father's funeral.

Julia Baird went to university and gained an MA in philosophy of education, and during the course of her degree she spent a year off in France, hitch-hiked around Europe, and protested against the war in Vietnam in Paris alongside Simone de Beauvoir.

Julia Baird later taught French and English before working as a special needs teacher with teenagers in deprived areas of Chester, until she retired to write books and become a director of Cavern City Tours.

Julia Baird was shocked that Pedersen did not look anything like the Stanley or the Lennon family, having pale blue eyes and fair hair.

Julia Baird declined, saying she was not going to produce her passport, and the audience would just have to take her word for it.

Julia Baird's book was adapted into the 2009 British film Nowhere Boy.

Parkes said, "Me and Julia [Baird] are going to be going to the old family croft to tell stories".