Lennon, who was murdered in New York in 1980, had the
porcelain lavatory removed from Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire, southern
England, where he lived from 1969 to 1971, and replaced with a new one. The
builders who took away the white and blue lavatory were told to "put some
flowers in it or something," according to the auction catalog. Builder
John Hancock stored it in his shed for 40 years until he died recently and the
lavatory was sent for sale, British media reports said. The toilet was among
Beatles memorabilia sold at auction as part of the Beatle week festival in
Liverpool, the group's native city in northwest England. The pre-auction
estimate was 750 to 1,000 pounds. Anne-Marie Trace, who works at the Beatles
Shop in Liverpool which organized the sale, said the high price paid had taken
the organizers by surprise.