Discover A Seaside Home Gifted By John Lennon To His Aunt

It’s nice to think that if we were to become rich and famous one day, we would do the right and honourable thing by buying up luxurious mansions for all our friends and family. (And hope they would do the same in return.) At least that way if the fame really does go to your head, you can always comfort yourself with the knowledge of your charity. Thankfully, for John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi, he was gracious enough to give back, buying her a stunning seaside home in return for her love and support. 

A Stunning Home In Sandbanks Peninsula

Located in one of the UK’s most exclusive enclaves, this waterside residence sits in the Sandbanks Peninsula, overlooking Dorset’s Poole Harbour. Built around an octagonal core, the 9000 sqft property offers six bedrooms with their own private ensuites, while the top-floor suite includes dual balconies, separate dressing rooms and a private lounge with harbour views. The home also boasts an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space with soaring ceilings and 180-degree views of the crystal blue waterfront. Expansive sliding doors open directly onto the terrace while a sculptural staircase spirals beneath a lantern skylight, complemented by a private lift.

Fit for the aunt of one of the world’s biggest stars, the home features an indoor swimming pool (we wonder whether Lennon ever took a dip?) plus an integrated bar area, private cinema, gym and sauna. Outside, a private jetty, outdoor kitchen, sunken seating area, garden pavilion and shower complete the property. With sustainability integrated into the design, other features include rooftop solar panels and dual battery storage. 

Who Was Aunt Mimi?

For John Lennon, Mimi (or Mary Elizabeth Smith) was more than just an aunt; she was his parental guardian. When John’s father Alfred went away to sea during WWII, his wife Julia was left alone with John and received little contact from Alfred. In 1943, the cheques he had been sending home suddenly stopped and neither Julia nor the Merchant Navy could track him down. Alfred later claimed he had been arrested for stealing a bottle of beer from a ship. Following a nine-day sentence in a military prison, he then became involved in a series of ‘shady deals’, only returning to England and resparking contact with his family in 1944. 

During his prolonged absence, Julia met a Welsh soldier named ‘Taffy’ Williams and became pregnant by him. Despite Alfred’s offer to look after both children, Julia rejected his help and was eventually pressured to give her daughter Victoria up for adoption. Following a new romance with another man, her sister Mimi twice contacted Liverpool’s Social Services to complain that John was being forced to share a bed with Julia and her new beau. Reluctantly, Julia handed over the care of John to Mimi and she became his legal guardian. 

Providing John with a stable home in Woolton, Liverpool she ensured he received a good education, though she was known for being a stern and sometimes critical figure. John later discussed how she would chuck out his early poetry and famously quoted Mimi saying ‘The guitar is all right as a hobby, John, but you’ll never make a living at it’. Despite the occasional tensions in their relationship, it was ultimately founded on love. John later engraved her infamous words onto a plaque which he gifted her and wrote her a poem named ‘Mimi’ in which he called her ‘the best of the five’ in her family, expressing that even if her family were to survive to 105 ‘they could never repay her again’. Now on the market for over £12m, hopefully this seaside home managed to provide Mimi with at least a fraction of the emotional debt she was owed. 

Located on Panorama Road, Sandbanks, this property is on the market for £12,950,000. Find out more at ddre.global