Paul McCartney,
John Lennon and George Harrison in one of
the rooms at 8 Haymans Green, West Derby, home of the Best family and the
legendary Casbah Club.
You may recall
that when Pete Best saw this photo recently one of the first things he noticed
were the golf clubs leaning against the wall between John and George
(circled).
The clubs belonged to his maternal Grandfather, Major Thomas
Shaw.
In 1948, three years after Mona Best sailed from India to
England her parents followed.
Thomas and Mary Shaw spent the rest of their days in Liverpool living with
their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren at 8 Hayman's Green.
Major
Tom died in 1958, a year before this photo was taken, Mary followed in 1962.
During his time in India Major Shaw served in the 11th
(Prince of Wales's Own) Bengal Lancers between 1876 and 1903.
He was awarded the Afghan War Medal and three other crosses during
the two-year Second Anglo-Afghan War, which ended in 1880.
He also received two other medals to mark the length of his
service.
His medals are currently on show in the Liverpool Beatles
Museum having previously been borrowed by John Lennon to wear on the cover of
the 'Sgt. Pepper' album in 1967.
Speaking in 2007 Pete Best remembered that "Every
time John came to the Casbah, he would ask to see the medals. He just loved the
look and the feel of them and never tired of the stories behind them."
It's thought that the Beatles' roadie Neil Aspinall, who fathered Pete's half
brother Roag and lived with the Best family until 1967 grabbed the medals on
John's behalf during one of his visits up North. According to Pete "John
knew how important they were, so they were returned swiftly with a polite
thank-you note."
As for Mona, "She was delighted to see John wear them on what
turned out to be one of the greatest albums ever."
As for Major Shaw's golf-clubs it looks like they may be joining his medals as a museum exhibit. My fellow researcher Peter Hodgson called in on Roag Best today at the museum. The museum has been closed to the public for the last few months due to Covid-19 restrictions so Roag has had some time on his hands.* Inspired by the Quarrymen photograph he's clearly put some of this free time to good use by searching through the countless family heirlooms and long forgotten artifacts which I would imagine are stacked floor to ceiling in the spare rooms, cellars and attic space of 8 Haymans Green. A bit like the tomb of a Pharoah, if he'd lived in West Derby. Remarkably, he's managed to find Major Tom's golf clubs. Here's Peter with them in front of the beautiful portrait of Mona Best in the museum. Apparently Roag is still looking for the two African heads which were on the wall in the 1959 photo. Watch this space!
Pete and Roag Best (by Bruce Adams)
* If you've seen any of his Facebook posts recently you'd be forgiven for thinking he's had perhaps TOO much time on his hands!
"Shout
Airborne is handly for planes if you like (no longer government patrolled) and
the L.C.C.C. (Liddypool Cha Cha Cha) are doing a great thing"
(John Lennon) *
Liverpool Airport in 1968, and in 2009 (below)
Liverpool (Speke) Airport was built in part
of the grounds of the Speke Hall estate in the late 1920s. Following the death of Adelaide Watts, the
last private owner of Speke Hall, ownership passed to Liverpool Corporation
(“L.C.C.C”.) which saw the land as an ideal site for airport development.
The original airport was a large levelled
grassed area to the other side of Speke Hall from the present airport. The
airport started scheduled flights in 1930 but
didn’t officially open until mid-1933. By the late 1930s, air traffic
from Liverpool was beginning to take off with an increased demand for Irish Sea
crossings, and a distinctive Art Deco passenger terminal, control tower and two
large aircraft hangars were built, forming the most impressive airport buildings
in the country.
The airport was requisitioned by the Royal
Air Force during the Second World War and known as RAF Speke. Bristol Blenheims
and Handley Page Halifax bombers were built at the airport and the Lockheed
Aircraft Corporation assembled many types of planes here including Hudsons and
Mustang fighters, that had been shipped from the United States in parts to
Liverpool's Docks.
Upper
Parliament Street, Liverpool 8. P51
Mustang fighter planes being transported from the docks up to RAF Speke for
final assembly.
On 8 October 1940 (one day before John
Lennon's birth), Speke was witness to what is thought to be the fastest
air-to-air combat "kill" in the Battle of Britain, and possibly of
all time. Taking off from Speke in his Hawker Hurricane, Flight Lieutenant
Denys Gillam was immediately confronted by a German Junkers 88 passing across
him. He shot the Junkers down while his undercarriage was still retracting, and
along with Alois Vašátko and Josef Stehlík - all members of 312 Squadron - was
credited with the kill.
The event has been caught in a superb
painting by Robert Taylor called "Fastest
Victory"
In the post war years Speke hosted an annual
air display in aid of the Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Association charity
for veterans. The displays were immensely popular and drew large crowds
including members of the McCartney and Harrison families from the nearby
housing estate. Indeed, throughout the 1950s and early 1960s the airport was a
popular destination for a day out, Liverpool families enjoying the use of the
viewing balcony to admire the civil airline operations which had resumed after
the war.
The city took over the control of the airport
on 1 January 1961. In 1966 Prince Phillip opened a new 7,500 feet runway on a
site to the Southwest of the existing airfield. This allowed the airport to be
open for business 24 hours a day and is still is use today.
When the Beatles returned to Liverpool
Airport in July 1964 Paul told reporters that when he was younger he would come
to the airport to spot the planes, as did his brother Mike and probably George
Harrison and his friends, living as they all did in such close proximity to the
airport. What John Lennon failed to mention, at least publicly, was that for a
time, he had actually worked here
In August 1958, a month after the untimely
death of his mother, John Lennon was looking for a summer job. Julia's former
partner John Dykins arranged for him to work at the airport's Viscount
Restaurant for a few weeks until he returned to Art College that September.
Apparently during the month or so John worked here, still grieving and at times
very angry, he did the basics - washing up, waiting at tables and packing
sandwiches.
The Beatles friend and press agent Derek
Taylor was travelling to Liverpool with them in July 1964. He later recalled
that when they were coming in to land John made a determined effort to warn as
many of the people in their party as he could not to eat the cheese sandwiches
at the airport reception.
On what would turn out to be a momentous day
for the Beatles, John decided to tell anybody who would listen that when he
worked in the Viscount as a packer he used to spit in the sandwiches out of
spite.**
In 1962 the Beatles secured a recording contract
with EMI records in London and the session to record their first single was
booked for Tuesday 4th September. When the big day arrived it was wet, windy
and not long after dawn when the Beatles assembled at Speke for their first
ever flight from Liverpool Airport***.
Manager Brian Epstein had promised Mersey Beat editor Bill Harry he
would write an article about the day's proceedings for the paper, and to
accompany the piece obligingly took a pre-flight photograph of the somewhat
apprehensive and not so fab- at this time of the morning- four on the runway.
Epstein wrote that their 75 minute flight
aboard the Starways Airlines Viscount propeller plane was "somewhat bumpy
and tiring" and no doubt the Beatles tried hard not to think about the poor
safety reputation the airline had until they were safely back on the ground in
London. In Brian's photograph George looks particularly unhappy about getting
on the plane. Throughout the Beatles touring years he was always extremely
nervous about flying, a fear probably originating from this very first flight
from Speke.
The first time we took a plane together as a
group, with Brian Epstein, from Liverpool to London, the seat George Harrison
was sitting in was a window seat, and the window opened... He was screaming;
very strange.
(Ringo
Starr, Anthology)
When we first started flying to London, we
went on Starways Airline. We'd take off from Liverpool and go up over the
Mersey, over Port Sunlight. I remember the first time I went on that flight: as
the plane was hammering down the runway, the back window opened, right where I
was sitting. I freaked out, thinking I was going to get sucked out. I shouted
and a stewardess came down, got hold of the window and slammed it shut again. (George
Harrison, Anthology)
Exactly one week later George had to go
through it all again, flying on 11 September 1962 with the other Beatles back
to London for a second attempt at recording their debut single Love Me Do, plus
the b-side PS I Love You and a first attempt at a new composition - Please,
Please Me. Brian Epstein took another photo of them as they were about to board
the plane. George's face says it all.
The Beatles continued to fly into Liverpool
Airport throughout 1963.
On 29 August 1963 the Beatles were filmed at
Speke Airport descending the steps of an aeroplane in which they hadn't flown.
They were faking an airport arrival scene for the BBC documentary The Mersey
Sound filmed at locations in Southport, Manchester and Liverpool between 27 and
30 August 1963. Several photographs were taken during the day.
George, happy he only has to pretend to get
off the plane
At the end of 1963 the Beatles were engaged
in a three week run of The Beatles Christmas show at the Astoria Theatre in
London. Brian Epstein chartered a plane for those artists who wished to spend
Christmas day with their families back in Liverpool.
Passengers included Brian himself, Ringo,
Cilla Black and Mal Evans the Beatles faithful assistant (seen sitting behind
Ringo). Ringo looks like he's been offered something off the in-flight menu
that's only available to a famous Beatle.
Two of the most famous noses of 1963
By the end of 1963 Ringo was so famous that
they even let him pilot the plane home!!
'Will there be anything else, sir?'
Perhaps the most celebrated Beatles return to
Liverpool airport was on Friday 10 July 1964. Their first film, 'A Hard Day's
Night' had premiered in London on July 6th. Four days later the Beatles arrived
in Liverpool for the northern premiere, coinciding with the UK release that day
of both the 'A Hard Day's Night' single and soundtrack album.
I remember
us flying up there. I think by the time we went up for the premiere they'd
started using the Dakota turbo-prop planes.
(George Harrison, Anthology)
George is half right. Starways had started
used Dakotas. I remember my Mum telling me that the first time she ever flew to
Majorca in 1964 she went on a Dakota and I looked at her in bewilderment.
Dakotas were the planes that Allied paratroopers jumped out of during World War
2. The cabins weren't pressurised. She went on holiday on one of them?! And yet
the photographic evidence above confirms it (pity my Mum's not on the photo).
Apparently if you travelled on one of them, you were put off for life!
Thankfully Starways did not assign one of their Dakotas to our favourite band of brothers when they returned to Liverpool on 10 July 1964. Instead the Beatles flew into Speke on a British Eagle liveried Bristol Britannia and were greeted at
the airport by 3,000 fans crowding the viewing balcony.
By 1964 they'd even let George fly the plane!
Ringo suddenly remembers he's met the air hostess before
In the preceding two months, there had been
British press reports stating that the Beatles' Liverpool fans had become
disenchanted with them, inferring that it had been too long since the band's
most recent public appearance there.
One month later, Paul McCartney would state
during a press conference in Vancouver: "Before we went to Liverpool last
time for the Northern premiere of the film, we'd been down in London a lot
because we'd been doing the film and TV and things. And everybody was saying,
'I've just been up to Liverpool and they hate you up there, and it's terrible.
Nobody likes you anymore.' And we believed 'em, you know, 'cos we read the
paper same as anyone else. And we went up there, and it was the most ridiculous
reception we've had anywhere, you know. So I give-in believing these
rumours."
In fact, 200,000 people filled the streets to cheer the
group's hometown return.
We couldn't say it, but we didn't really like
going back to Liverpool. Being local heroes made us nervous. When we did shows
there, they were always full of people we knew. We felt embarrassed in our
suits and being very clean. We were worried that friends might think we'd sold
out - which we had, in a way. (John Lennon, 1967. Anthology)
Thirty years on, Paul had a different
recollection, perhaps with the benefit of hindsight.
We weren't really apprehensive about going
back to Liverpool, for the other premiere. We'd heard one or two little rumours
that people felt we'd betrayed them by leaving, and shouldn't have gone to live
in London. But there were always those detractors. (Paul McCartney, Anthology)
The Beatles with David Jacobs, Neil Aspinall
and Derek Taylor take in the fanatical reception at Liverpool Airport 10 July
1964
The Beatles looked genuinely thrilled, and
relieved, at their reception. After being presented with bouquets (?!) and
struggling through the throng of photographers and pressman on the apron they
made their way inside the airport terminal and gave a press conference and a
series of interviews for the assembled TV crews.
(Above) Paul goes on a charm offensive.
(Below) A familiar face in the crowd. Cavern DJ Bob Wooler in bow-tie stands
behind Paul and John (centre). Wooler was probably under strict instructions
NOT to ask Lennon if he'd been anywhere nice on his holidays since their last
meeting.
Paul in particular looks very much up for it. John's still thinking about those sandwiches
The Beatles were interviewed for both BBC
televison news and Granada TV's "Scene At 6.30", the latter of which
is transcribed below:
Q: "Welcome home boys."
RINGO: "Thank you."
Q: "What does it feel like to come back
to a big civic reception like this?"
JOHN AND RINGO: "Great."
GEORGE: "Very nice."
Q: "Did you ever imagine that this day
was coming?"
PAUL: "Never like this! I mean, you
know-- We used to come here spotting the plane numbers and things.. .never
imagined, you know, we'd come back to this!""
GEORGE: (laughs)
Q: "Well, now you've all made a
fortune-- Have you got any future ambition in mind?"
JOHN: (jokingly, feeling his pockets) "I
haven't got any on me. Oh."
Q: "No, no. I don't want to borrow any,
John. Have you got any future in mind now? Any other ambitions?"
JOHN: "Don't know... like to make more
films, I think. We'd all like to do that 'cos it's good fun, you know. It's
hard work, but you can have a good laugh in films."
Q: "What about you, Ringo?"
RINGO: "Same. I enjoy films."
Q: "You did?"
PAUL: "Well I think, you know, all of us
want to do, sort of... a good film. One that we all think is good. And make
more good records."
GEORGE: (jokingly) "Don't you think this
one's any good, then?"
PAUL: (to George) "Well it's OK, you
know what I mean."
JOHN: (giggling) "Not as good as 'James
Bond' though, is it."
PAUL: "Oh, not as good as James
Bond."
Q: "You fancy yourselves as actors,
then, do you?"
JOHN AND GEORGE: "No."
GEORGE: "No. Definitely not."
JOHN: (jokingly) "Do you?"
Q: (laughs)
GEORGE: "But I mean, but we enjoyed
making the last film, and especially, the director was great, you see, and it
made it much easier for us. None of us rate ourselves as actors, but you know,
it's a good laugh and we enjoyed doing it. So we'd like to make a couple
more."
Q: "Jolly good. Now it's about seven
months since you were in Liverpool last-- appearing."
JOHN: "Officially"
Q: "Yeah, and some of the fans have been
saying that, you know, they feel that you've deserted them. What do you feel about
that?"
JOHN: "Well they're mainly the ones that
never came to see us....the people that are moaning about us not being here are
people that never even came to see us when we were here. You know, we could
count on our fingers the original fans we had here, and the ones that really
followed us. And most of them gave up being teenagers anyway. They're all sort
of settled in and different things. The ones that are moaning never...probably
came to see us about once, or after we'd made records."
PAUL: "The only thing is that we've
gotta do a lot from London, 'cos a lot of the TV shows are down in London, you
know. And so, we're forced to do a lot down in London. I mean, it's like
someone said the other day-- Why doesn't Harry Secombe go to Cardiff? You know,
he never does. But no one ever moans about Harry never going... You know what I
mean?"
JOHN: (jokingly) "Doesn't he go now--
Harry?"
PAUL: "He doesn't go back to Cardiff
very often. (giggling) Oh no!!"
JOHN: "I thought he was always
there!"
You can watch the video of the arrival and
"Scene At 6.30" interview here:
After the premiere at the Odeon cinema on
London Road, the group returned to Speke Airport, had another reception and
then flew back to London.
Clutching sleeves for the album 'A Hard Day's
Night', released that day.
Liverpool
was the place we loved, and the reception was great. There was apparently a
little bit of sour grapes on the day, but it served only to give the newspapers
their story.(Paul
McCartney, Anthology)
Following the premiere of their first film,
the Beatles would make concert appearances in Britain and Sweden before
embarking on their 1964 North American tour in August. The Beatles would return
to Liverpool later in the year on November 8th for a hometown concert at Empire
Theatre.
The Building today
A modern passenger terminal adjacent to the
new runway was opened in 1986. This redevelopment resulted in the closure of
the original 1930s airport terminal which then stood derelict for 14 years.
During this time, the building was featured on the cover art of the Oasis
single Don't Go Away (released in Japan only in 1998).
The original terminal was bought by Neptune
Developments in 2000 and following renovation opened in 2001 as the Marriott
Liverpool South Hotel, carefully preserving the Grade II listed Art Deco Style.
I hadn't realised until it was pointed out but the adaption involved adding two
new bedroom wings on the frontage of the hotel, so seamlessly and tastefully
carried out that one would have to study the building to realise they were added
70 years after the original terminal was built. The airside aspect of the
terminal has been preserved intact.
It has since become the Crowne Plaza
Liverpool John Lennon Airport Hotel and is today the home of several aircraft,
including BAe Jetstream 41 prototype G-JMAC, Hawker Siddeley HS 748 G-BEJD and
Percival Prince G-AMLZ, all preserved by the Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group.
A partially restored Bristol Britannia like
the one the Beatles flew on in July 1964
is also on the platform.
The two art deco style hangars that flank the
terminal and apron have also been converted for new uses. One is now a David
Lloyd Leisure centre, whilst the other has been adapted as the headquarters of
the Shop Direct Group, and is now known as Skyways House.
Fifty years and 3 days after the Beatles
returned for the northern premiere I was given a tour of the old airport
building:
My son - a born Leverpuller - eyeing the levers in the cockpit of the Bristol Britannia.
Some of the fantastically restored art-deco features of the old airport building:
The viewing platform:
The hotel offers Beatle style weddings where the happy couple can honeymoon in the Ambassador suite - a Beatles themed bridal suite inside the former control tower - and have their wedding photographs taken in the exact spot where the Beatles stood when they flew into the airport on 10 July 1964! All You Need Is Love!
Notes:
*Shout
Airborne is a Lennon pun on Speke
Airport from his written piece "Around and About",published in Mersey
Beat: September 14 1961.
** I
bet they never knew that when they decided to name the airport after him,
incidentally the only airport in the UK named after an individual.
*** The
Beatles first flew as a group in May 1962 to Hamburg. They flew from Manchester
Airport on that occasion.
