In Alfred's absence, George Smith, became John Lennon's father figure. He was very fond of John, and it was George who when John was four and a half taught him to read by reading out loud the headlines of the Liverpool Echo. He also taught John to draw and paint and bought him his first mouth organ.

George,his brother Frank and their sister and parents ran two dairy farms
and a milk/dairy products shop in the village of Woolton. At the time of
WWII the government took over their farmland for war work and the family
had to find other kinds of work.

George courted Mimi Stanley for 10 years before they finally married on 15 September 1939, just after Britain declared war on Germany. George was called up but discharged three years later and went to work in an aircraft
factory in Speke.

George and Mimi lived a comfortable life in a semi-detached house, known as 'Mendips' at 251 Menlove Avenue, Woolton. They also owned half of the Smith family farm house structure - known to the family as The Cottage. This is where Harriet, Norman, Liela and David lived. It was just round the corner from 'Mendips'. So it was easy for John and his cousins to get together.

One of their favourite pastimes was helping Uncle George on his milk
round. George delivered milk by pony and trap in the Woolton area. The milk was held in a large churn which was ladled out to customers into their own bottles and receptacles. To their great delight, when the school holidays came round John, Liela and Stanley were allowed to accompany George on his rounds!

It was while John was on one of his regular summer holidays in Scotland that George died suddenly of a haemorrhage. John was given the bad news when he returned home, and took it very badly.

George was 52 when he died.