What were the “four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire”, referred to in the Beatles song “A Day in the Life”?
Paul Elliott, Kendal Cumbria • I believe the answer is rather prosaic. John Lennon’s inspiration for his lyrics in the song came in part from reading a newspaper. Someone rich was reported as having committed suicide in his car (the ‘lucky man who made the grade’). Another column mentioned the state of road repair in Blackburn, where, to the shock and horror of the readership, there were 4,000 holes. A lot of John Lennon’s writing was pythonesque, even before the Beatles’ celebrated acid-dropping experiences, so please don’t believe that this is either some sort of drug-induced insight or eternal truth. Simon Gilman, London • It all relates to the line ‘I read the news today, oh boy’. In the same paper with the details of the car crash, Lennon saw on an adjoining page, an article about the results of a survey by Blackburn’s Council which concluded there were over 4,000 potholes on the streets. Neil McLoram, UK • A newspaper article John Lennon happened to come across. Robert del Valle,
