Meeting Paul in 1977

Here is an account of a fan, Roger Ellis, who met Paul McCartney on January 24, 1977 at his home in London. This article first appeared in the March/April 1980 issue of Beatlefan magazine as part of the "Meeting the Beatles" section

I'd always known where Paul McCartney lived in London, so one cold winter's day when I happened to be working in a nearby district, I decided to grab some spare time and drive over to his house in my company's Ford truck. But when you arrive at a lifelong idol's house, it's a completely different matter altogether!

So, after a discussion with my work-mate (a non-Beatlesfan), I jumped out of the truck and walked up to Paul's front gate. His house is situated in "St. John's Wood" an area no more than two or three miles form the "West End" of London. It's a fine old Victorian building, similar in appearance to the Apple building of 3 Saville Row London W.1. and stands in an ordinary sideroad only a few yards from the Lords Cricket Ground and a short walk from the famous EMI Abbey Road Studios where The Beatles cut nearly all their finest works.

Linda McCartney had recently painted parts of the front of the house in bright colours, after a recent holiday in Jamaica.

So there I was, standing in front of the two eight-foot high gates that keep unwanted outsiders form continually pestering the McCartney's from autographs, etc. when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and a guy was standing in front of me with tools in his hand.

"Er--is Paul in today?" I blurted.

"Yes--do you want an autograph or something?" the fellow replied.

Not much to show for my journey, but better than nothing, I suppose. The guy, who said he was Paul's electrician (but whom I later found out with Joe English, Wings' former stixman) disappeared through the gates and into the house.

I waited and waited and waited. But there was no one to be seen -- no autographed photos, nothing! What a "con" I thought. So I was just about to get into the truck and drive home, when what should happen? The gates slowly opened and out came a stocky-shortish looking guy, wearing a thick Old Gold coloured overcoat. He was followed by a small child.

It was none other than James Paul McCartney taking his young offspring out for an afternoon stroll in the crisp winter's air! He walked off down the road, occasionally chatting to the child in the manner all fathers do to small toddlers, and after some quick thinking, I followed in hot pursuit. It's now or never I thought, and I leapt out in front of Paul.

I couldn't believe it -- he looked just like in the millions of photos I've seen of him (although may more of a "rugged" face than I expected) and then he spoke to me.

"I hear you're working around here." he said.

"Yes" I replied with a blank mind, forgetting all the thousands of questions I'd always thought I'd like to ask a Beatle if I met one! And that was that. There's not really much you can say to someone you've never met before in your life, although, after all these years, you imagine you known them like brothers.

But my meeting was not over yet. As I was driving home, I passed a small park, which is just across the road from Paul's house and who should be sitting on an ordinary park bench while his youngster played on the swings and roundabouts -- you guessed it!

I wasn't going to blow it this time. I grabbed a pencil -- didn't have a pen on me-- and paper---no paper, so I took the newspaper I 'd previously been reading and sort of slowly rushed along the path leading to where Paul was sitting quietly and contentedly taking in the air.

He saw me and must have remembered me from the earlier meeting. Drawing his finger up to his lips, he beckoned me to "be quiet" and I guest not to draw a big crowd around him. But amazingly enough, no one else playing, walking or passing by the park had noticed him!

He smiled politely. I handed him my scrap of newspaper and pencil and asked him for his autograph. I stupidly spoke, "I've followed you since 1963." Funny the things you come out with in these situations. "Oh! I can't remember back that far!" he replied.

He signed for me on the back Sporting page of the newspaper, which on this day had printed an article and photo of the golfer Tony Jacklin. In the shot, Jacklin looks similar to Paul a la 1967 -- with a "Pepper" moustache and short hair. Paul commented on this saying, "that;s me!"

I nodded and smiled in agreement, although I was still trying to take in that this was the man I'd seen so many times on film, TV, photos and heard playing songs like "Yesterday" and that The Beatles really are four living, breathing human beings and not gods from outer space after all!

I'll probably never forget this unexpected meeting, which although short, let the famous McCartney charm, politeness and wit shine through!