How We Bombed The Beatles

 The Beatles thought the flour incident at the last concert of the UK Autumn tour at Bristol on November 10, 1964, was an inside job done by someone involved with the tour as a prank during the last performance.   Really, it was four young people who were trying to prove a point about lax security. 

How We Bombed The Beatles

By Roger Bennett

Evening Post

November 12, 1964

    Three young men and a policeman's daughter admitted today, "We flour bombed The Beatles"-- and produce a photograph to prove it. 

    And Mr. Ken Cowley, manager of the Colston Hall, Bristol, where the flour incident had Beatles and audience rocking with laughter on Tuesday night, said, today: "I believe them.

    "Until I saw the picture, I was prepared to swear it must have been an inside job, by somebody in the show. But the photo is genuine. 

    "They risked their necks in the operation, which must have been minutely planned to breach our security network. And they must have had a key to get through a roof trap door.

     "If we trace them, they would risk prosecution for entering the hall illegally. But I think we'll let the matter lie. 

    "My main worry now is to prevent them or anyone else, doing it again. We are carrying out a detailed survey of the entrances to the roof area of the hall today before deciding what action to take.

     The four flour bombers who smothered the Beatles in a cloud of white dropped from a spy hole 50 feet up in the ceiling revealed today how they did it. 

    "We found the Colston Hall crawling with policemen, but we just went round the back, up a drain pipe, across two roofs, through a trap door, and into the lighting department.

     "We watched both performances through a circular hole. At the end of a number we dropped the flour and then ran for it. We were back on the ground in 45 seconds, and nobody challenged us.

     Seconds before they dropped the flour, they took the picture, which they later handed in to the Evening Post. It shows Ringo, John and Paul.

     "We just did it said the four to prove security at the Hall is a farce. We were in the same spot for the Beatles show last year, but we had to leave our flour and run after mistiming it.

     "But we did drop a pillow full of feathers on the Swinging Blue Jeans another time. It was good fun."

     Said Mr. Cowley. "So far, we haven't worked out which drainpipe they used, but the most likely one is 40 feet high. They certainly had guts. I just hope they realize what danger they were in above that frail ceiling. One false step, and they could have been through."