Lennon, Ono’s world famous bed-in for peace set to be recreated

WELLINGTON - Late Beatles member John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s world famous bed-in for peace is set to be recreated in Nelson, 40 years after the couple staged it Amsterdam and Montreal.

The re-staging of the famous couple’s stint in bed to promote peace will take place on September 21, on the steps of Nelson’s Christ Church Cathedral.

Nelson actor Roger Sanders and his wife Bridget will be playing the part of Lennon and Ono, and they will give other people the opportunity to hop into the bed.

Grace Deathridge, a Brit actress who has been working in Nelson for nine months, and is one of the event organisers, said there would be one double bed, some peace banners and a guitar for people to have a sing along if they felt like it.

“We are inviting people to participate in the Nelson event in whichever way they want to,” Stuff.co.nz quoted her as saying.

“This might include coming along to talk about peace, recite some peace poetry or play peace music. We just want people to come together and communicate peace in their individual way,” she said.

The event will feature a wish tree, inspired by the Yoko Ono World Peace Project, where people hang their wishes publicly or privately on a tree.

The wishes written in Nelson will be sent to Ono, to place in her Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland, which is a tribute to Lennon.

The event will take place on the Nelson cathedral steps between 8.30am and 4.30pm and will include a peace vigil at noon, and will also feature a panpipe band from Ecuador, a Tibetan Bowls ceremony and a tai chi demonstration.

At 8pm the same day, there will be a screening of The Day after Peace at the Independent Theatre, Church St.

The day will also see Richmond Montessori Preschool children join celebrations by singing the song Light a Candle for Peace at the Richmond Mall at 11am. (ANI)