In just a few days It’ll be forty-three years since John Lennon was murdered. Yes, I can remember exactly where I was when I heard the awful news.

I was born early enough to remember the early Beatles singles hitting the charts, but too young to be out buying records or going to concerts. I was only eleven when they broke up, and yet they form an indelible mark on my life, and I listen to their music regularly. Indeed, with the advent of YouTube I have been able to enjoy recordings of them playing live, and in adulthood have really come to appreciate the energy those young men put into their work. But then I’m an old fart, so you’d expect it perhaps.

I am amazed, though, how my step children, and my three-year-old grandson, are similarly smitten with the music that was created decades before their birth. The three-year-old can name each of the Beatles when he sees them on TV.

Oddly, I don’t think you can’t blame me or their mother for the youngsters’ enjoyment because they picked up their interests from their peers, not us. What is it that makes teenagers today not only take the time to listen to The Beatles, but actually buy their music, and listen to it repeatedly? I’m darned if I know, other than for the fact that The Beatles were the right people at the right time.

As for us old farts, well I listened to the entire Sergeant Pepper album while I was tidying up, just a few days ago. It’s timeless, and I knew all the words to all the songs, and yet I found myself reexamining the lyrics to Within You Without You and marvelling and how good they are. See, they still move me.

We visited Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and were just very slightly wrong-footed at the continued commercialisation of the Beatles story. That didn’t stop us taking Beatle photographs and buying Beatle gewgaws, though, us and many others. It’s an oft used cliché, but what a time to be alive.

On Friday I will give the great John Lennon some extra respect, listen to some of his work and continue to be amazed at just how good he and his friends were to have endured like this.