The Autumn of '68 (part 2)

Last summer I posted the first part of a great story of some American girls who went over to London in the Autumn of 1968 and spent time hanging around Paul's house and getting to know him.    Low and behold I have discovered part two and most of the whole series in "The McCartney Observer."   Sadly, the photos that are shared with the story are in poor photocopy quality.    If anyone has these in better condition and are willing to share them, it would be awesome!

The story was written by Linda Rabe and JoAnn DeFilippe and was published in issue #13 (Spring 1980) of the McCartney Observer.  

Autumn of ’68 (part 2)

Written by Linda Rabe and Jo Ann DeFilippe

We woke up quite late the next day, remembering the night before.  We knew for sure our trip would be the best ever for us.  We went round to see some of the sights and got back in time for dinner at the hotel and went up to our room to get ready to go to Paul’s house leaving about 11pm and took a cab to Cavendish.   It was really quiet except for Eddie who was under the gate crying…so we stuck our hands under the gate to pet him and he was nibbling our fingers!   We climbed the wall to see if Paul’s car was in the yard.  When we didn’t see it there we knew he was at Trident recording so we made ourselves comfortable for the wait for him to come home.   Shortly later we saw two cops coming up the block towards us.  So we casually picked ourselves up and started walking down the block.  Then we head “Hey, Girls!”  We were afraid to turn around, but when we did they were smiling.   We waited for them to catch up to us.  They came up and asked us where Paul was.  We said “Paul who?”  They said, “What were you doing then?”  We said we were walking down the block and heard a dog crying so we stopped to pet it.  We told them we were going to Regents Park and they said don’t go there all the freaks go there this late at night.  So we said we would go to Primrose hill, and they said not to go there because all the homosexuals go there.  All of a sudden a car drives down the block and one of the cops said, “There goes Paul.”  We said it was not.   The one cop told us, “If we told you not to go back to the house you’d be back there in an hour anyway” and he laughed.  We then proceeded to walk to Wellington with them and told them that we were going to go to Scotland and visit our pen pals.  They said good night and started for the prescient and we told them we were going to get a taxi home (such liars).  When they were out of sight we went back to visit the crying dog.

A half hour later a car pulled up with people we had never seen before.  They got out and opened Pauls’ gate with a key and pulled in the yard and shut the gates and went in.  About fifteen minutes later we saw the guy in a window on the third floor next to the music room, when Ivan appeared in his car.  He got out and said hello.  Ivan asked us who was in the house.  Not knowing who the people were we told him some fat guy and his wife.  Ivan laughed.  He ran the bell and said “Paul sent me round.”  No one came to open the gate for him so Ivan had to jump over it again, and let himself in.  We felt bad for Ivan because he didn’t have a key and the other guy did.  Shortly later we saw a car coming up the block and thought it was a cop car so we started up the block again.  We turned around to look and saw Pauls’ brother Mike getting out of the taxi, with the rest of the Scaffold and three girls.  Mike asked who was inside and we said “Some guy and his wife and Ivan.”   Mike said, “Ivan!  What the bloody hell is he doing here?”  Mike took off his jacket and handed it to one of the girls and jumped over the gate, and let everyone in (except us).  A half hour later a cab pulled up and he asked us if we were the ones who wanted a taxi.  We said no it must be them inside.  We rang the bell and mike answered and I told him his cab was here.  Mike, the three girls and the Scaffold and Eddie came out.  We spoke briefly to John of the Scaffold and they got in the taxi and pulled off and left us there with Mike and Eddie.  Mike yelled out to them, “Ta, ra good ta.”  It was almost four in the morning and I decided to ask Mike where Paul was.  He said “He’s said “He’s recording and won’t be home until very late, so why don’t you go home and get to bed.  I think that would be a very good idea, now I think.”  We asked Mike if we could take his picture and then we would go home.   He said ok, each of us took a picture alone with him and once the flash didn’t go off (as usual).  And Mike said not to worry, that sometimes they do flash and sometimes they don’t flash.  We tried again and the flash was bright and Mike said, “Oh shit, that one!”  As we were taking the pictures Mike was holding Eddie and we were petting Eddie.   After we finished Mike said are we going to go home and go to bed new.  We said yes.  Mike said “Well then, I’m satisfied.  Goodnight to you.”  We all said goodnight and went and got a taxi.

We got up late again the next day and just did some sight-seeing and couldn’t wait until that night to go to Paul’s house.  So at 11pm we left for Paul’s house.  We sat around on the curb to his courtyard in front of his gates.  Every time a car came speeding up the block we would say, “Shit, it’s him….it’s not him.”  Then another car came speeding up the block and we thought it was him, because as the car came closer it slowed down, but then it made a slight turn as if to go into the garage across the way.

It just stopped and it looked like a woman driving.  The lights were very bright and it was hard to tell. We were getting very pissed off wondering what the hell she was staring at us for.  This went on for a good five minutes all of a sudden the car came speeding up and made a sharp turn into where we were sitting, almost running us over.  The woman turned out to be Mr. McCartney all by himself.  We jumped up in a hurry afraid of being killed on the spot.  He still sat there starring at us and we thought that maybe we forgot to pu on our trousers.  We stood there holding one carnation each which we swiped form our hotel dining room.  Paul then opened the door and the radio was blasting he was whistling.  He came to Jo Ann and took her carnation and said “thank you.”  He then took Carol’s flower.  He then went to Linda whose flower was stuck in her button hole and had a very tough time getting it out with him standing there patiently and starring.  She finally got the carnation loose and gave it to him, and said, “With love from me to you.”  And Paul said, “ahh.”  He went to the back seat of his Aston and took an album and put the flowers in it.  He was dressed in a beige suit with elephant bells which were just coming in style.  He then walked over to the front of the car to open the gates and Jo Ann said to Linda, “This car is beautiful.”  Paul turned around and said, “Thank you.”  We were surprised he had heard because the motor of the car was very loud and Jo Ann said it very soft.  Still whistling, he got back in the car and we watched him pull into the garage, as he was coming back towards us, Miss Eastman appeared at the door and Eddie came running out.  She was wearing a blue lounging outfit.  Eddie started to run to us and Eastman shut the door.  Jo Ann said “Watch Eddie doesn’t go in the street.”  And Paul then called Eddie and whistled and Eddie turned and ran to him.  Paul still walked over to us tripped over Eddie and we thought he was going to end up on this face.   We all said, “Be careful!”  He started to close one gate and leaned on it and we told him he almost ran us over, and with his silly little smile he said, “I wouldn’t do that.”  We told him that we met his brother the night before.   He pouted and said “Oh yeah.”  (We later found out from a certain source that he gets jealous if you mention another fellow even his brother!)  Paul was looking very tired so we just said goodnight to him and he smiled and said “Hey well, I’ll see you anyway, goodnight!”

The next evening when we arrived at Paul’s house we made ourselves comfortable again.  Around one o’clock the Aston came speeding up the block as usual and turned into the driveway and he sat there smiling at us.  He had on a tan jacket and looked beautiful as always.  Miss Eastman was sitting on his left and staring out the front window of the car and looking quite annoyed as usual.  The motor of the car was loud and Paul asked us “Are you enjoying your holiday?”  It was very difficult to hear him and Jo Ann kept saying “What?” and Paul kept repeating it very patiently.  We finally caught what he was saying and told him yes.  As the two of them remained seated in the car we think they were waiting for each other to get out and open the gate.  Paul then put his left hand on the back of her neck and scratched her neck.  She turned her head away from him and stormed out of the car as Paul sat there patiently and smiled at us.  When she got to the gate the three of us looked at her and smiled.  She wouldn’t smile back.  She just threw her head back very dramatically.  We felt hurt because we didn’t do anything to her.  Paul pulled into the garage.  As we were standing waiting for Paul to come back she looked and just slammed the gates right in our faces!  We then got furious and were going to kick the gate and call her a bitch when we heard Paul’s footsteps passing her by and coming closer to the gates.  EH opened one and leaned on the other and looked at us as if to say he was sorry.  We told him that we met a neighbor of his who was with his dog and told us that you were a very n ice boy.  Paul’s reply was, “Don’t believe him.”  Linda said, “Why you’re not a nice boy”   Paul just smiled and Eddie came running out of the house towards us.  Paul bent to pick him up and said, “Hiya Ed…Hey, well, I’ll see you anyway.  Goodnight.”  We said Goodnight to Paul.