Beatles house, lyrics for sale

Fans often visit Lennon's childhood home

LONDON, England -- Two pieces of prized Beatles history are to be sold over the Internet. Copies of the original score of Yesterday will be auctioned to raise funds for British colony Montserrat and the childhood home of John Lennon will be sold after the current owner died last month.

Copies of the original score of Yesterday will be auctioned to raise funds for British colony Montserrat where a volcano erupted in 1997, former Beatles producer Sir George Martin said on Thursday.

And the childhood home of John Lennon will be sold after the current owner died last month, his relatives said.

Fans have already been bidding more than £2,000 ($2800) online for a chance to own one of 500 framed copies signed by Martin, who wrote the string arrangement, and Sir Paul McCartney, who wrote the song, Britain's Press Association reported.

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Although the song is now regarded as a classic, Sir George admitted: "I never thought I'd be talking about it 36 years later."

The first in the series will bear a small plaque and special message from Sir Paul, and will be hand-delivered by Sir George to the winning bidder.

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"I think the first one will go abroad," Martin said.

"I don't know, America or Japan. There are a lot of rich people there who are tremendous Beatles fans. I have said I will deliver the first one personally so I hope it's not in Siberia or somewhere."

Sir George said his charity for Montserrat needed half a million dollars to build a cultural centre there. However, he said there were no plans to pass on his own manuscript for Yesterday.

"My original is under lock and key, I can tell you. That will never be sold," he said.

Meanwhile, Ernest Burkey -- who lived in Lennon's childhood house in Liverpool, north west England, for 30 years -- died last month aged 88.

Lennon lived at 251 Menlove Avenue in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton from the age of five -- when his parents separated and he went to live with his aunt -- until he was 23.

He taught himself to play guitar in the four-bedroom 1930s house, and reportedly wrote She Loves You in the front room.

The house was also used as the cover image for a record by the UK band Oasis, who are big fans of the Beatles.

Real estate agents have valued the house at about $207,000 but say it could fetch much more because of its history, Liverpool newspapers reported.

The house -- awarded a plaque from the English Heritage agency identifying its former resident -- attracts a steady stream of Beatles fans visiting their idols' home city.

Mike Storey, leader of the Liverpool local government council, said the city would be prepared to contribute to the cost of buying the house if partners could be found.

The National Trust, a UK heritage organisation, owns Sir Paul McCartney's childhood home, also in Liverpool.

Millions of people visit the small house every year and are given guided tours around the rooms where McCartney and his family lived before he rocketed to fame and fortune.

But the National Trust has said it has no plans to buy the Lennon house.

Burkey's son Rod told Sky News he wanted the house to be bought by a Beatles fan, but did not say when or where the Internet ad would be posted.