John T. meeting Paul in 1976

Several weeks ago, a nice fellow named John Tennent emailed me to share with me his story about meet Paul McCartney and family in Scotland in 1976. His story is amazing! He wanted me to share it with all of you. Here it is copied from the email he sent me. John: I want to thank you sincerely for sending me your personal meeting a Beatle story. It is great! I want to applogize for not being able to post it sooner....

It was July 1976 I was 29 at that time married had two kids son aged 8 and a daughter aged 4 we lived in Glasgow Scotland (still do, now remarried with another daughter Sarah shes now 19!) and at that time we used to go camping holidays in the summer. That year we decided to go to Campbeltown on the West Coast of Scotland. As I was Beatles/Wings mad anyway I told my sister jokingly my intention was to meet up with the McCartneys.

We arrived at a camp site outside Campbeltown and set ourselves up spending a few days relaxing, on conversation with the manager of the camp site I enquired as to where Paul McCartneys farm was, she said her brother actually managed the farm, and she gave me directions (also informing me that there was no way I'd see anything as there was no way to get in) so disregarding her advice and out of curiosity I decided to take a trip there with the family just to check it out. We drove for about 30 minutes and I found the entrance to the farm as described. There were two large farm gates closed over and a road leading down a hill blocked off by large boulders and 45 gallon drums filled with concrete he obviously did not like visitors!

Disappointed, we went to drive away when I noticed tyre marks on a hilly verge on the left of the gates and I thought to myself thats how he gets in! I decided to open the gates and follow the track just to see his farm my wife by then was going nuts asking what I thought I was doing, anyways we drove about quarter to half a mile up and down hills and there in front of us was the farm house. I parked up and we all got out, at my insistence I must add, as the kids and my wife were like dads flipped!! I knocked on the door and I heard someone shout something which I couldnt make out then a large dalmation dog bounced round from the back of the house a friendly dalmation as it had made for the kids. I was about to knock again when the door opened and Paul stood there I dont know who got the bigger fright Paul, myself or my wife, the kids basically thought they were there to visit someone and had no idea who he was although they had been listening to his music since birth.

He says who the **** are you and I reply John he then asks who's that pointing to the wife and kids who were by this time standing well back I introduced them. He asks where I'm from and and what was I wanting I was at a total loss by then so I says I'm from Glasgow and thought I'd pay him a visit! I think he was kinda taken aback with my reply as he shouted in the door "Hey Linda get the kettle on we've got visitors" then says come in!We were taken into the kitchen of the house and Linda's there with Mary, Stella (Heather their oldest was in America with her dad, we found out later) and also Denny Laine from Wings we were told to grab a seat. Paul said we were welcome to stay for a while but not to ask for anything, and also what was said or seen in the farmhouse stayed in the farmhouse! So there were no autographs also we had no camera totally unprepared so no pics. He also informed us we were only the second lot of "fans" that had actually made it in, the previous being a Dutch couple in the late 60's. He was also very interested in how we managed to drive there (obviously to address his security arrangements) as he told us there had been a couple of reporters from I think The Times could have been Rolling Stone magazine(confirmation required here Paul LOL)who were doing an article on originally my memory thought Wings but I've remembered it was the Paul is dead story and the fact after the Beatles breakup he had sort of disappeared of the radar for a while they had telephoned and got directions on how to drive down and they had managed to tear the oil sump from their car and seized their engine!!

Linda poured the tea and as I was sitting there in a surreal stupor probably slack jawed not believing this was really happening Paul say's I dont think its tea your wanting and asks if I'd join him in a glass of Johnnie Walker Red Label!!! So he pours a glass of Whisky for himself, Denny and I.During our conversation Denny Lane had made a comment about me not telling anyone that I had managed to visit them and Paul says to him in a kinda put down manner "do you think he's gonna go back to Glasgow and run bus tours!" Anyways to cut a long story short we basically spent most of the afternoon with them my kids spent most of their time out playing with the McCartney kids whilst my wife and I chatted with Paul, Linda and Denny I must have done his head in with questions about the Beatles and their music. They were all just back from the Wings over America tour and Linda had purchased a couple of Palomina Pony's and had them brought over to the farm, she was so proud of them as she let us see the pedigree papers and stuff and then we were taken out to see them in the field Linda took some pics of us with Paul and their kids. Linda was amazing very beautiful and so friendly, made us feel really welcome although we were basically trespassers!!!

We then said our goodbyes and made our way back to the campsite and the real world!! Two days later we're all at a farming show (there's not a lot happens in Campbeltown!) queuing with the kids for icecreams when we hear someone calling our name's, I turn round and it's Linda with her kids and it's as if we've been friends for ever LOL!! I can't begin to tell you how nice a person she really was or how she even managed to remember our names. Sounds far fetched but every words is true I could rabble on for hours about it as I have over the years but anyways somewhere in Linda's photo archive there's pics of a hippy looking guy his wife and two kids on the farm standing next to Paul, Mary and Stella. So if your trying to remember who it was Paul it was me! It is a great memory and for years after it the kids used to ask when are we going back to Paul's place as if he was a mate when I think about it there's no chance. Well I'm 61 now and its still one of the best moments in my life and I'm still Beatles /Wings/ Paul nuts (it never leaves you!!) so the family dont have to worry about what to buy me Christmas and Birthdays, I'm 62 on 20/09/2009 and with the new 09/09/09 Beatle releases guess what I'll be getting?Hope this wasnt to long winded and if you want to post it on your blog your more than welcome. All the best! John Tennent