Lowlands, 13, Haymans Green, Liverpool, Merseyside
This building was formerly the home of Thomas Randles Withers. He was chairman of the Liverpool Stock Exchange in the late 19th century. It is a substantial and well-preserved example of the type of mid 19th century villa built for Liverpool's elite merchants. It has not been altered much inside and still has an opulent stair and stair alongside tts 1960s decorative finishes and fixtures. It became the headquarters of the West Derby Community Association in 1957. Part of the attic floor was converted for use as the Pillar Club where many of the 'Mersey Sound' groups played in their early days. They included the early Beatles (then the Quarrymen), Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers, Hollies and Billy J. Kramer. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was a visitor. George Harrison frequently visited Lowlands as a teenager playing with the Les Stewart Quartet. Another house in Hayman's Green, Number 8, was home to the Casbah Coffee Club which was also a meeting place for the Beatles and other groups.
