Coming into Dunedin

The Beatles were late for their scheduled arrival in Dunedin on June 26, 1964.  The reason for their tardiness is that someone had called in a bomb threat on their airplane.   I think sometimes in 2014 we think that bomb threats are a more modern day occurrence, but things like this did happen 50 years ago as well.    Precautions were made and all of the Beatles and their party's luggage was opened and checked before they left the hotel and before they boarded the airplane.  

No bomb was ever found and the Beatles landed in Dunedin, New Zealand without any issues.  Some of the area schools allowed the students to line up near the fence to see the Beatles go by and other schools refused to allow it.   I bet if you were at a school that didn't allow it, you did not learn much that day because all you could think about was how the Beatles were going by.

When the Beatles arrived at City Hotel, the police were not prepared for the 2000 fans that were waiting.   Many of the fans had been bused into Dunedin from more rural areas of the country.   When the Beatles car pulled up, the fans pushed forward and the police were basically helpless.   The policemen's helmet were knocked off and went flying through the crowd and the barrier broke, allowing for a swarm of fans to get close to the Beatles car.   Ten minutes later, the Beatles were taken out of the car.  John was the last of the guys to exit and the police literally picked John Lennon up off the ground and THREW him at the front door!   John went flying and hit the elevator in the foyer where he ripped his pants and his knee was bloody and bruised from the cut.   John was obviously angry about all of this and he left for the room without wanting to talk to anyone.

Notice the arrow pointing out the Beatles....what a mess!

Paul was angry when he told a reporter, "We told your Bobby's here that there would be crowds and there would be pushing and shoving and they said to us, 'don't tell us about crowd control laddie, we've had Vera Lynn through here, twice.'"


The crowd began to chant the popular, "We want the Beatles" and sure enough the boys appeared on the balcony for the cheers of the fans.  I couldn't find any photos of the Beatles on the balcony in Dunedin, and so I am not sure if John had calmed down by then or not.