Beatles Besieged in Hotel Scene (Glasgow, 1965)

 Beatles Besieged in Hotel Scene 

By a "Record" Reporter

The Daily Record

December 4, 1965

    Hundreds of fans mobbed Glasgow Central Station last night — even before The Beatles’ show had ended. News that the Four were going to stay overnight at the Central Hotel had spread like wildfire as the Beatles played to their second-show audience.

    Railway police set guard rails inside the entrance to Central, keeping the screaming youngsters from the rear of the hotel. When The Beatles’ limousine swept from the street into the tunnel, the screams rose to a crescendo.

     The boys went straight to the hotel to a third-floor suite of three rooms on Hope Street. At least 300 fans chanted: “We love The Beatles,” and sang: “Why are we waiting?”

    At 11.30, about a dozen police started to clear the station courtyard and the fans left quietly.

     A spokesman for the hotel management said: "The Beatles are spending the night in the hotel and will be leaving at midday tomorrow."

    Earlier, 6000 Beatles fans were at the show’s two houses at the Odeon, Glasgow.

AMBULANCES

Outside the theatre an ambulance stood by for fainting cases. A mobile canteen of the St. Andrew’s men and nurses, serving cups of tea, waited in the chilly air. 

    Six girls were taken to the Royal Infirmary semi-conscious, and 125 were treated by ambulancemen for hysteria and fainting.

    As the second show ended, fans tried to rush onto the stage, but 150 attendants kept them back. The Beatles escaped through a side door.

    More than 200 extra police were on duty for the group’s visit. A police spokesman said later: "The crowds were very good and there was no serious trouble."

    Beatles publicity man Tony Barrow said later: "The boys loved their Glasgow audience — but they always do. It was a pleasure to be here."

    A Central police spokesman said later: "There have been a number of arrests for breach of the peace."

    At a Press conference before the show, George Harrison revealed that one of his 14 guitars had fallen from the boot of the Beatles’ car on the A1 between Berwick and Glasgow. He added: "We stopped the car and went back to look for it. It was in little pieces when we found it. I don’t know how much it was insured for. I don’t even know if it was insured — but it was one of my own guitars and I liked it very much."