Moving from India in 1945, Mona arrived in a war torn Liverpool and immediately began to make her mark on the city. She was quite a character, always independent, free spirited and unconventional, and her legacy of the Casbah Coffee Club is a constant reminder of that.
Having lived in a few homes across Liverpool since the family’s arrival in the city, Mona set her heart on 8 Hayman’s Green, a beautiful Victoria mansion in West Derby Village. Her husband John didn’t share Mona’s passion for the house, but this didn’t stop her! She pawned her jewellery and bet all the money on a horse – “Never Say Die” – hoping to buy the house herself with the winnings. Miraculously, the horse came in and Mona immediately bought the house in her name – the first step in the amazing story of the Beatles at the Casbah Coffee Club.
After settling the family in the house and persuading her husband to join them there, Mona realised Liverpool was missing a Rock and Roll club live the Two I’s in London – and she decided to open it herself in the basement of her beloved home. Mona founded the Casbah Coffee Club, the first rock and roll club in Liverpool, which provided the Beatles with a place to practice and perform, along with a number of other fledgling groups in the city. She also took on the promotion of the band and managed their early business affairs, making her the first female rock and roll promoter in the world!
Mona played a large part in the Beatles’ development as a band and is one of the most influential figures in helping The Beatles to get off the ground. She was the driving force behind the boys early success and a significant part of the Beatles’ story, and we’re proud to tell her story here at the Liverpool Beatles Museum.
