Letters From Mum-- A Review

When Louise Harrison mentioned in her book, My Kid Brother's Band that she had plans to release the letters her mother sent to her during the years of Beatlemania, I was thrilled at the possibility.    The senior Louise Harrison is  a much loved figure in Beatles fan history, and she was known for having a great sense of humor and for writing letters.      Many of the letters she sent to fans between 1963-1970 have appeared on this blog over the years.

Letters from Mum is a audio book from George's sister, Louise.    She reads letters that her mother sent to her from Liverpool to her home in Benton, Illinois during the year of 1963.     I really enjoyed this audio experience.    Louise did a great job reading the letters her mother sent her.   Her Liverpudlian accent really added to the mood of the letters and I am glad that it is her voice that we hear and not an unknown narrator.

The letters themselves are very interesting.  In the middle of hearing a mother telling her daughter normal day to day events, you also get to hear about the beginning of Beatlemania through the eyes of George Harrison's mother.    She talks about fans and mania and about going to Beatle concerts.   She also writes to Louise about George's trip to the U.S. to visit her and how Ringo changed his mind and decided to go to Greece instead of the United States.    It was especially interesting to hear what she had to tell her daughter about Brian Epstein and work Louise was trying to do for him (basically---don't promote all of Brian's groups---focus on your brother).  

I really liked having Mrs. Harrison's humor shine through.   I had to laugh at the story of how she was trying to sneak things through the airport duty free.

The only part of this audio that I disliked was the last track.    It was not a letter written by Mrs. Louise Harrison, but instead was something sister Louise wrote after her brother's death in 2001.   It was a rambling speech that talked about the Benton house turning into a Bed and Breakfast, Louise's charity, Drop In and seeing her brother for the last time.    I didn't feel like this speech fit in with the rest of the material in this disc.    It really should have been left off.

However, don't let that last track denture you from this treasure.  It can be purchased as a CD for $15 or a digital download for $10.   I bought mine through the itunes store.   You can purchase it directly from Louise Harrison's website as well.

http://www.lettersfrommum.com/shop/

Astrid and the Harrison Family

Remembering the wedding of George and Pattie

50 years ago today, on January 21, 1966  George Harrison married Pattie Boyd with Paul McCartney as the best man.

From what I can tell, fans weren't devastated when George and Pattie got married as they were with Ringo and Maureen the year previously or Paul and Linda in 1969.    I think the reason for this is that first of all, it wasn't a secret that George and Pattie were a couple that was in love.   George never tried to hide Pattie from the press and was honest about his intentions of getting married to her.

Plus the fans were familiar with their  relationship from the start.  From when George and Pattie met on the set of  A Hard Day's Night, to reading about the holidays that they took together, the fans were able to watch the relationship turn into marriage without a shock.  

The other big reason the fans weren't upset is that most girls really adored Pattie Boyd.   She was the ultimate "swinging London" girl.   She was beautiful and very fashionable.   Fans everywhere tried to dress like her and fix their hair like her.    Besides her beauty, fans also saw her as a very sweetheart of a girl and the perfect match for George.

Their wedding was celebrated by almost everyone around the world and today we remember the happy occasion.

Mom and Dad Harrison

This great photo of the Harrison parents was taken in 1964 and is currently available from Tracks on ebay. 

Family and Friends in Liverpool

A lot of the Beatles' family and friends came to see them in concert in Liverpool, which would be expected.    Audience members included Louise and Harold Harrison, Pattie Boyd, Elise and Harry Graves, Jim McCartney along with others in the Beatles family.    Special guests Jimmy Tarbuck (comedian) and MP Bessie Braddock were also among those that were there.

Spending a day with Beatle family in England

I decided to re-post this story for a number of reasons.   The first one being that when I originally posted it on this blog in 2009, my copy of the story was badly creased and some of the words were missing and I had to put ??? in place of the real words.   I now have found a copy that is easier to read.   The second reason is that the photo of Patty with the Harrison family has been popping up on facebook this week and no one seems to know who is in the photos or when/where it was taken, so I hope by re-posting the photos and story, it will help clear things up.  Lastly----it was originally posted over 6 years ago---and it is such a sweet story that it is worth sharing once again!

Reader spends a Day with Beatle family in England
The Beat: April 8, 1967

(Editor’s note: If you’re lucky enough, it can be done. Beatle fan, Patty Juliono spent a fantastic day at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Harrison. A surprise twosome greeted Patty inside the house and the following is Patty’s story of the day she’ll never forget. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.)

I’ve been writing to Mrs. Harrison ever since I got her address a few years ago, and I have always gotten an answer from her. Last February I went to Paris with my father. Before I left, I wrote Mrs. Harrison a letter telling her that I was coming to Europe and if I ever came to England I would love to see her. When I got to Paris I was surprised to find a letter from her. She said she would love to see me and gave me directions on how to get to her house.



I called her the day we were going to Germany. She sounded so nice. I told her about coming to see her. I asked what would be the best day, Saturday or Sunday. She said either so I picked Sunday. I had to hang up then because we had to hurry to the airport. We had to move the meeting to Saturday because we had to leave on Sunday so we could go to Switzerland on Monday because I had to start school.

When I called she wasn’t home, so my father called later and asked her. She said it was just fine and that she was looking forward to meeting me. So on Friday, March 4, we landed in London, England. I was so excited! I couldn’t believe I was in England! All Friday we went sightseeing. I even had lunch at an English pub!

The next morning we got up at eight, had breakfast then took the bus to the London airport. We had to fly from London to Manchester and then take a train from Manchester to Warrington. When we got to Manchester, my dad decided to take a taxi to Warrington. When we got to Warrington, we had to stop at the train station so we could call Mrs. Harrison and ask how to get from her house from the station.

My dad called and when he got off the phone he had a smile on his face. I asked him why he was smiling – he didn’t say anything. What he was smiling about was that George had answered the phone and he was just thinking what would happen if I had called and George answered the phone. All the way to her house I kept saying wouldn’t it be neat if George was there.

Finally we turned down the road to Mrs. Harrison’s house. Mrs. Harrison was out in the front waiting. I got out of the taxi and gave Mrs. Harrison a box of candy I had brought her. We walked into the house. The door leading into the living room was made of glass. I looked through and saw someone sitting there. Then Mrs. Harrison opened the door and who should be sitting there but Patti --- she is so pretty in person.

Mrs. Harrison introduced us and we sat and talked. And then my dad came in and I introduced them.  Then Mr. Harrison came in and we all started talking. I asked Patti if she had gotten a lot of mean letters from girls after she had married George. She said that she got a few saying “I hate you so much.” After awhile my Dad looked up and smiled and then said, “Well, here’s our boy.” I turned around and there stood George with a big smile on his face! 

He came over and shook my hand then sat in the chair next to me. He offered everyone a cigarette –even me! I joked and started to take one. He laughed and said, “Aren’t you too young?” I never did get one.

My dad and George started to talk about Vietnam. Patti and I just sat and listened and threw in our two-cents once in awhile. Then George started talking about the police protection they get when they’re in America. He said the English police were better. He told me how he had seen policemen take kids and hit them with their clubs. He said English policemen don’t do that. 

Then Mrs. Harrison called us in for a small lunch. We had tea sausages, cheese and bread. I sat between Mrs. Harrison and Patti and George sat across from me. Mrs. Harrison showed me a scrapbook of fans from all over the world. I found a lot of pictures of kids from the United States. I even found a picture of me!

After we ate, I cleared off the table and helped Mrs. Harrison with the dishes. Then my dad suggested we take pictures before the sun went down. We took six pictures outside. After we took the pictures, George’s two brothers, Peter and Henry came with their wives and George’s little niece and nephew, Janet and Paul. We got one picture of Janet. She was very shy. We started talking about cars because George just got a new car which was out front. I think it was a GTO. George started talking about the Munster’s car.

Around five o'clock my dad said it was time to go.  I didn't want to, but we had to catch a train at 5:30.  Mr. Harrison decided to drive us to the train station. I really hated to say good-bye. George and Patti stood in the doorway holding hands. George’s brothers all shook my hand and said they enjoyed meeting me. I told Mrs. Harrison I really had a wonderful time. She was glad.

I got in the car and we drove out the driveway. I turned around and saw Mrs. Harrison standing there waving good-bye. I’ll never forget that day. I really couldn’t believe I had met one of the Beatles!

I did learn one thing about George – he is supposed to be a real good cook. His father told me. Well I still write to Mrs. Harrison and she writes to me. Maybe someday I’ll meet her again. 

George's American family

Mom and Dad Harrison

Mum and Dad Harrison

Beatles Traveling: Benton, Illinois

For today's Wednesday Review, I am not reviewing a book or album or event.    I am reviewing a town!   My boyfriend, Shawn and I drove the 2 hours south of where I live and spent Saturday in Benton, Illinois.    I wanted to take a few photos for my book.   This is the first time I had ever been there when a Beatles event was not taking place.   

When you get to the small town of Benton, Illinois you need to just park your car in the Benton square and walk everywhere.   It is much easier that way.  Just be aware that the parking on the square is 2 hour parking.   

There is a small museum in Benton called the Franklin County Jail Museum.   It is open Monday-Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm.   The cost is $4.00 a person.  It isn't located exactly on the square, but two blocks west.  Things are really well marked in Benton, so you can find it.   Most of this museum is dedicated to the last public hanging in Illinois for a bootlegging gangster.    You can see the gallows where he was hung, and go into the jail cells and read all about the 1920's and gangsters and the law in Illinois.    This museum is of interest to Beatle fans because on the second floor is the "George Harrison room."  This room is set up to look just like the radio station where Marcia Schaffer interviewed George Harrison in September 1963.    There is also the coca-cola soda machine that George used to buy drinks from on display.    While it isn't anything earth shattering, it is still neat to see vintage items from 1963 and think about what Benton was like when George Harrison was visiting.   Just about everything in the room is vintage and unfortunately is behind a large, black metal gate, so photos were hard to take.   But I did my best!

The next thing you want to make sure you see is the historical marker for George Harrison that was unveiled in 2013.    It is located outside near a bandstand.   The locals call it a "park" but it isn't what I think of when I think of a park.    It is right off of the square and very easy to find.

While you are in the square and have time, there are a bunch of little antique shops all around the square.   It is fun to go in them and look for Beatles treasures and other fun things.    I found some vintage Beatles items (out of my budget).  I also talked to a nice woman that ran one of the shops that told me that she helped clean out Louise Harrison's house and found some guitar pics, which she got to keep.   She has no way of knowing, but she is going to assume that they belonged to George.   If you are getting hungry, I highly recommend the Chinese restaurant that is located on the square.

If you have never been to Benton, then you will want to see the house where Louise Harrison once lived.   It is now a private residence and you cannot go inside.   If you want to find the house, look for the signs for the Benton High School, because it is directly across the street from the high school.  It is at 113 McCann Street.   

The last thing you might want to do is try to re-create the photo of George, Louise and Pete (along with Lousie's daughter).   The location of that photo was off the square a little bit on East Main.

Benton is a nice little town and going down there was a fun way to spend a sunny Saturday during my spring break.    If you happen to be traveling through southern Illinois, it is worth a stop.   It doesn't have the rich Beatles history that a lot of places might have, but it sure has more than anywhere else in the mid-west!   

For I have got another girl

Did you know that George Harrison's sister, Louise was asked to be the girl that Paul strums like a guitar in the "Another Girl" sequence in the movie Help!?   In her book, My Kid Brother's Band, Louise states that she was considered for the part, as she was with the boys in the Bahamas in the early filming of the movie.  However, George was pretty embarrassed by the thought of his sister in a bikini on the big-screen and the idea was dropped.    However, Lou was in the movie---even though no one has spotted her yet.   She was in the crowd when the boys were in the swimming pool.  

The Peppermint Twisters

Sullivan meets Harrison

This photo was taken when George was feeling well enough to join the Beatles for a rehearsal before the Ed Sullivan show.    I love the smile on Brian's face.  

Riding in America

My kid brother's band --- a book review

Lou and Paul just last month

I remember being excited that Louise Harrison was going to be one of the speakers at my very first Beatlefest.  The year was 1994, and I had never been around anyone who had met one of the Beatles, much less the only full-blooded sister of one!  I was excited to hear Louise tell stories about her brother.  Imagine my extreme disappointment when she refused to talk about George and talked the entire time about the charity she had created to help the environment.  She even had a trash can passed around the auditorium for donations. I went to a Q&A with her the next year at the Fest and experienced much of the same. I recall one fan asking her if she and George still exchanged Christmas or birthday cards or gifts.  Instead of really answering the question, she went on a discussion about how all of those greeting cards are bad for the environment.  She always would say that she would not talk about George because she wanted to respect his privacy.  Personally, I never understood how talking about events (such as the Ed Sullivan Show) that were common knowledge was an invasion of his privacy. It wasn't like she was telling us his addresses or flight schedules or anything intimate about affairs he had or whatever.  In the 1990s, I always had the impression that she and George were not on speaking terms, something that she denies in this book. Of course after George's death, Louise opened up a bit more about her little brother and even shared some old family photos with the Daily Mail, so I wasn't sure what to expect of this book.

I think the title  My Kid Brother's Band, aka the Beatles! is a great name.  In 1963, when Louise lived in the United States, she was going around to radio stations, trying to get the Beatles some airplay; that is what she referred to the Beatles as: My Kid Brother's band. Louise shares some very nice and interesting stories about George and the Beatles in this book.  I learned a few new things, and it was especially interesting to read about George being sick during the Ed Sullivan Show from Louise's point of view.   I enjoyed reading about how she went to many of the Beatles concerts in America, and of course, I loved reading about George's visit to see her in Benton, Illinois.  You can't help but admire and love the senior Louise and Harold Harrison even more after reading this book.  The Harrison parents raised good kids and were so kind-hearted to Beatle fans around the world. 

However, I had a lot of issues with Louise's book.  She went on what I would call "tangents" throughout the book.  She would be telling about the Beatles in 1964 and then she would put in parentheses something about politics, health care, the environment, phonics vs. whole language, how much she loves the president, taking jobs away from people, etc etc.  Now the woman is free to have her thoughts and opinions, but I am not sure if a book about her brother is the right outlet for that. Nonetheless, even if she wanted to leave it in, the way it was dispersed throughout the book made it almost impossible for me to read.  It was so disjointed and confusing.  Many of her opinions I agreed with and some I did not, but I wish the book was laid out differently

She did make a few mistakes that we Beatle geeks will notice. Two that stood out to me were that she put the British Embassy event where Ringo's hair was snipped before the Washington D.C. concert and that she said George and Paul Simon appeared on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. But those are minor things, especially considering that she isn't writing as a Beatles historian. 

For me, spending almost $40 on this book was worth it for the photo of Louise, Peter, George, and Leslie (Louise's daughter) standing on the square in Benton, Illinois. That color photo alone is amazing! (Well, it is to me because I live near there.) 

One thing that REALLY stood out is that she does not mention Olivia by name at all.  One time, she refers to her as "Dhani's mother."  And there are some strong words against the "Harrison estate" whom she says "are not real Harrisons."  So if you are an Olivia Harrison fan, then this won't be a book for you!

So, should you get this book? I would say that this book is for those of you who are big George Harrison fans. He is your favorite, and you can't get enough information about George. Or if you are (like me) a Beatles book completest and must have all Beatle books.


The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/3IuWwkE

Macket Lane

Thanks to Guus for the correction!