 ALTHOUGH allowed the freedom of the house when it was closed to the public, he tended to roost solely in the kitchen and snug. He says: "The sofas in the lounge are very old and uncomfortable. Besides, unnecessary use of the furniture accelerates its ageing." The kitchen's 1950s gas cooker was rebuilt internally to modern requirements and other new equipment such as a microwave were installed behind a removal panel. He was allowed to use soft toilet tissue paper, rather than the classic Izal scratchy paper on show. Having mugged up on John Lennon's life (his time at Mendips included the Beatles' Hamburg tours), intriguingly visitors were keener to ask about Matthew himself. "I was surprised that people were so curious about me. There were always questions about how long I'd lived here, what did I feel about being in Lennon's home, did I feel his presence, did I like being here. "The second most popular subject was the big school picture, with everyone wanting to know where John was. As the house is decorated as the family home, it's not marked. "I expected lots of intricate and difficult questions, but most people don't come for that. They just want a touristy experience. There was a significant minority with a morbid interest wanting to know where John, his mother Julia and his Aunt Mimi are buried. "Overall, there was a good spread of people. Mostly they were in their 50s and 60s, but there was a new generation of Beatles' fans in their 20s. "The 30 and 40-year-olds were less well represented because they were most receptive to pop in the 1970s when the Beatles were old hat and before John's murder rekindled interest in the group. "All my friends who visited were in awe of the place and wanted a tour. Eventually, I got rather abrupt and just gave them leaflets, telling them to show themselves around!" During his time at Mendips, he gained enormous admiration for Lennon, his talent, originality and strong sense of destiny. He says: "You expect rock and roll to come out of the working classes and council houses like McCartney's, not an ordinary suburban house like this one." * MENDIPS reopens on March 29, with access via minibus pick-ups at Albert Dock and Speke Hall; tel: 08457-588702 for details. | 
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